From Oct. 15 to 17, the first ever Emmaus retreat took place for Archbishop Riordan High School students.
Lasting three days and two nights, the Emmaus retreat was a chance for juniors to take a spiritual journey to become more empowered in the Marianist values.
Dr. Oliver Meneses, staff member of ARHS campus ministry and the program initiator, explained, “The theme of the retreat is Empowerment by Christ through Mary. The whole journey is to have Mary as a role model.”
Within the three days of the retreat, each day takes on a different purpose.
The first day is known as the road of encounter, where students come to know more about themselves and of other people.
The second day is called the road of conversion, where each participant in the retreat focuses on deepening their religious faith.
The third day concludes the experience with the road to mission, where students find the answer to how to act with the characteristics of Mary.
“The goal for the retreat was to make it Christ centered,” said Alex Datoc ’87, Director of ARHS Campus Ministry. “…we wanted our students at Riordan to have a retreat to have more of a relationship with Jesus.”
As part of protecting the nature of this retreat, the specific activities of this three-day retreat cannot fully be disclosed. However, many, such as leaders of campus ministry and believers in God, have gladly found this retreat a worthwhile experience of their high school life.
“The Emmaus retreat had many unique and special activities that made you reflect on life, your identity, and your faith,” said Brian Tin ’27, who is also a member of ARHS’s CORE Team. “…it made my high school experience more enjoyable and memorable.”
Collin Noguera ’27, another retreat participant and member of ARHS’s CORE Team, when asked about the Emmaus retreat admitted that, “When signing up for the retreat I had no idea what to expect. All I knew was that the first Emmaus retreat would be like no other I had previously gone on”
Fortunately, for those still interested in this opportunity, the next Emmaus retreat is on Jan. 28 of the next year.
With this three day junior retreat, someone can reflect on themselves and learn from Mary as a role model.
For more information on this sacred retreat, check the campus ministry webpage on the Archbishop Riordan website where students can learn how to sign up to immerse themselves into the Empowerment By Christ experience alongside their high school community.
