Campus Ministry

Retreats

During St. Ignatius of Loyola’s initial conversion experience, while he was recovering from a severe injury, he began to keep notes on the changes and feelings he was experiencing.

These notes were eventually developed into the Spiritual Exercises—an organized series of meditations and reflections on central aspects of the Christian faith and on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

The Retreat Program at Gonzaga adapts the principles derived from Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises for the student body. Each year, every Gonzaga student has the opportunity to make a retreat. These are occasions when the young man is challenged to reflect upon his relationships with God and with others in his life, and to examine his personal growth in these basic relationships. The retreats vary in length, but each provides a haven from the daily routine of classes and home life to recharge the heart and mind for God's work—and, hopefully, to return with a fresh perspective for prayer and greater self-understanding.

Led by Campus Ministry and upperclassmen on the Gonzaga Ignatian Leadership Team, each retreat is meant to build upon the previous one.

Sophomores and juniors may apply in the spring semester to join the Ignatian Leadership Team for the upcoming academic year. All students are also encouraged to seek out Campus Ministers during the year to contribute to other opportunities for community building, reflection, and prayer.

Gonzaga's Retreat Program

List of 4 items.

Freshman Retreat

The Freshman Retreat is a two-and-a-half day retreat for the entire freshman class that emphasizes Gonzaga ideals, the Ignatian spiritual tradition, and the fraternity of Eye Street. The only mandatory retreat, it takes place here at Gonzaga, typically in January over the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend, and is often a wonderful bonding experience for the entire freshman class. Parents of freshmen, please mark your calendars now to avoid a scheduling conflict.
Sophomore Retreat

Sophomores are invited to make an overnight retreat at Camp Wabanna in Edgewater, Maryland. During the retreat, students have an opportunity to deepen their friendships with classmates and reflect on how they can make the most of their sophomore year. The Grad at Grad statement and an introduction to ways of prayer are at the heart of the Sophomore Retreat.

One Sophomore Retreat is offered each quarter (September, November, February, and March), and students are welcome to register for the retreat that works best in their schedule. To attend, students must submit an electronic registration form that Campus Ministry distributes directly in a Canvas message.
Kairos

Kairos, a three-and-a-half day retreat offered to juniors and seniors, takes place at the Loyola Retreat House in Faulkner, Maryland. Retreatants are called to acknowledge God's love and to share that love with others while pondering and meditating on the themes of: Who am I?, Who is Christ in my life?, What is Christ's message for me?, and How am I going to carry out this mission? A powerful experience, many students long remember Kairos as one of the highlights of their time at Gonzaga.

To attend, students must submit an electronic registration form that Campus Ministry distributes directly in a Canvas message. Following the retreat, Kairos alumni are invited to Live the Fourth by reunions and smaller events that will renew their spirits, draw the community together, and call them to put their love into action.

Seniors who have not made a Kairos retreat are encouraged to sign up for the first fall retreat offered in October. An electronic application will be due well in advance of the retreat and will be made available to seniors in August. Seniors have a window during which they receive priority to attend any of the remaining Kairos retreats through the year.
Legacy Retreat Program

As they approach graduation, all interested seniors will be invited to attend an on-campus Legacy Retreat, scheduled at the beginning of the week leading to graduation. All seniors are encouraged to keep these dates open, so that they will be free to attend the entirety of this important opportunity to reflect, pray, and celebrate as a class. An electronic registration form will be distributed in a Canvas message to seniors by the start of May.

An Opportunity to Lead

Every year, Campus Ministry enlists the help of a team of juniors and seniors to serve as Gonzaga’s Ignatian Leadership Team. Applications become available in the late winter and early spring of a student's sophomore and junior year and the process involves an essay, self-evaluation, two teacher evaluations, and an interview. Those who are selected attend an overnight training session in August, before helping to lead all of Gonzaga's retreats, service programs, liturgies, and community events the following school year.