By Mason Smith ’11
THE ROUNDUP
When people think of the word retreat they often think about going to a quiet place and reflecting on life and trying to find an inner peace.
But how can they do that if they are constantly bogged down with school work and extracurricular activities?
That is where Brophy’s Office of Faith and Justice step in.
The OFJ offers several retreats for students at Brophy; and whether they realize it or not, everyone has already been on a retreat.
The first retreat that Brophy offers to their students comes within the first few weeks of freshman year.
The Freshman Retreat is designed to help new Brophy students realize that Brophy is not just a place of academics, athletics and activities, but to show them that there is also the religious part that plays a major role.
Led by Big Brothers, the Freshman Retreat is designed to give freshman a snapshot of what Brophy is like.
During sophomore and junior year students are able to go up to Manresa, Brophy’s retreat center located in Oak Creek Canyon near Sedona, and participate on Magis.
“This is the mid-point of the Brophy career and focuses on leaving childish ways and going on to manhood,” said Mrs. Sue Hornbeck.
Magis, which translates to “the more,” encourages students to expect more out of themselves.
These two retreats help students what Brophy and life is all about, but the third retreat would be considered by most as the most important retreat that Brophy offers.
The Brophy retreat experience culminates with Kairos.
Kairos is “God’s time”, an opportunity for upperclassmen to examine their life, faith, values and relationships that occur not only on a daily basis but throughout life.
Students must sign up in order to go on Magis and Kairos in the OFJ.
Once students have gone on either retreat, they have the opportunity of being a student leader. Student leaders must also sign up with OFJ. Leading a retreat takes a lot of time and effort from students: setting up Kairos requires four to five weeks of planning and Magis requires three.
“(Retreats) can be described as a spiritual journey that one goes on to find God, himself and others,” Mr. Tommy Smith wrote in an e-mail. “It’s an opportunity to quietly reflect, away from distraction, and discern the path that you are on where you’ve been, where you are now, and where you’re headed.”
“The important thing is that (students) open their hearts, minds and souls up and allow God to work through them,” Mr. Smith wrote.
