Earlier this term our Year 11 students took three days (11-13 August) out of their normal school routine to attend retreat. The retreats were at the following locations:
- Camp Kerem
- Camp Serpentine
- Camp Woodman Point
- Camp Point Peron
The term retreat refers to time away from the normal school programme where students have the opportunity to reflect on their relationship with God. The emphasis is on helping students “remember that we are in the holy presence of God”.
School retreats are an integral part of the life-long faith formation of our young people. They promote systematic, intentional faith experiences as part of the comprehensive evangelisation of students. Catholic schools need to provide the best apprenticeship that they can in the Christian life. (Mandate, para 59).
Following the example of John Baptist de La Salle our retreats aim to be relational at heart. To be effective, this retreat program seeks to acknowledge the students’ unique reality and bring the power of the Gospel into contemporary culture in a way that engages and empowers young people.
Our overarching goal is to put students in communion and intimacy with Jesus Christ. Through the retreat experience, students come to know Christian love and are exposed to a Gospel centred way of life.
Students hear the Gospel and are empowered to connect the Gospel message to their lives and to find ways of continuing to live inspired by the message of Jesus. They participate in the life of the Christian community through liturgy and through activities which emphasise growth in Christian faith.
The Year 11 retreat at La Salle College is named “Rheims” after the birthplace of John Baptist de La Salle. It is here that de La Salle first discovered who he was and began to discern the voice of God in his life, a voice that would continue to guide him in the years to come. This retreat presented opportunities for our students to discover who they are and to learn how to discern the still small voice of God in their own lives.
Aaron Peters | Deputy Principal Catholic Identity