Dressed in Rosary sweatshirts and jeans and carrying full water bottles, Rosary’s sophomore class boarded their buses at 7:30 a.m. to make their way to a wonderful retreat. The retreat took place at the Sisters of Saint Joseph center in Orange and was hosted by Rosary’s Campus Ministry Directors, Ms. Pallares and Mrs. Kearns ’78. Throughout the day, the sophomores learned about blossoming with each other, creating long-lasting friendships and growing as individuals.
This retreat provided an opportunity for the girls to not only strengthen their relationship with God but also with each other. Sofia Lombardi ’28 shared what she took from this experience: “This retreat was so special to me because it provided a new way to connect with God by allowing me to step back from everyday life and fully focus on my connections and building bonds with my Rosary sisters.”
The day began with a Mass in the sisters’ chapel, which put the girls in a perfect mood to embrace God throughout the retreat. Shortly after eating a delicious breakfast, the students received a talk from science teacher, Ms. Waldman, about “Planting the Seed.” This talk made the sophomores think about what moments and people helped form them into who they are today. This discussion opened the question of who a positive or negative influence in their lives.
Next, the girls received a talk from Ms. Pallares about growing through the “mud” in their lives. The mud refers to difficult situations or adversity, and “growing through it” represents finding resilience in yourself, God, and your Rosary sisters. As a hands-on activity, the girls decorated and filled “hope and dream” jars, filling them with goals and dreams for the future. After lunch, a final talk was given by English teacher, Ms. Williams, about how friends influence our lives. The talk explained how growing out of friendships is normal as you mature and grow into the different stages of your life. The retreat ended with a beautiful adoration ceremony at which inspiring worship music was played.
After the break, this was the perfect way for the Royals to get back to the Rosary sisterhood. Sophomore Emma Celio shared how this retreat impacted her: “I thought the sophomore retreat was a great opportunity to not only take away from the chaos of coming back from a long break, but it was also nice to reflect and grow as individuals who still have so much to learn and experience in life. Between the talks from our teachers, fun activities, and silent reflection and prayer, it overall made for a great experience and an amazing way to start our semester!”
Overall, the girls were extremely grateful to Ms. Pallares and Mrs. Kearns for a fulfilling retreat that they got to experience with their fellow classmates and friends. On the bus ride back to Rosary, the sophomore class sat with their newfound knowledge of growing up and maturing as children of God with their sisters in Christ.
