Abigail Clark ‘26
News Staff Writer
Adjusting to the change in academic and social life in college is a big jump for every college student, especially first-years. It can feel impossible to escape the stress of everyday life, but Holy Cross provides a chance for that escape. This past weekend, the college hosted its annual “Ignite Retreat” for first-year students, a retreat that is enjoyed by each and every one of its participants.
Holy Cross provides many opportunities for retreats through the Chaplain’s office, geared towards various groups of students and events. The “Ignite Retreat” gives freshmen specifically the experience of stepping away from campus during the first few weeks of college to meet new people and embrace the importance of reflection and relaxation.
For one night, 45 first-year students took the drive to the Joyce Contemplative Center, a beautiful retreat building for Holy Cross students. While the location itself is less than a 20-minute drive from Mount St. James, all of the students were moved to another world full of peace.
While at the retreat, students met new people and formed long-lasting relationships through the importance of group discussions. Gina Palladino ‘27 was one of the lucky freshmen to attend this retreat and enjoyed this amazing opportunity. “The weekend was full of time for reflection and relaxation within nature,” Palladino said. “We were provided a safe space to discuss our first few weeks on campus and learned about the experiences of upperclassmen.”
Alongside the meaningful discussions held between students, the two chaplains attending the event focused on spirituality as well. Embracing the Ignatian, and Jesuit ideas is an important introduction for all of the first-year students to better understand the college’s mission and values.
The freshmen had the opportunity to enjoy quiet time, put their busy-ness aside, and focus on themselves through prayer, reflection, and journaling. Annamaria DeCamp ‘27 attended the retreat as well, saying, “It was a great time for me to self-reflect on how I want the rest of my college experience to go.” There is a lot of value in taking time for oneself, especially after entering college, and the first-years had the chance to experience this reflection.
At the conclusion of the Ignite Retreat, the Chaplains hoped all of the first-year students felt a true sense of belonging and inclusion with all of their classmates and with the college. DeCamp added, “It was relaxing and a great way to meet new friends, people I probably wouldn’t have met if it weren’t for the retreat.” This weekend provided the escape that every college student should experience, a spiritual, natural, and reflective escape.
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