Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas
Retreats
Retreats provide opportunities for the members of each grade level to gather together for a day or several days away from the routine of a normal school day in order to have the opportunity for reflection, prayer, small group discussion, and reception of the sacraments. Each grade level has its own unique retreat with particular themes that are chosen for each stage of the students' spiritual formation.
Freshman Retreat
The Journey Begins
The freshmen are introduced to the common vocabulary and practices of Ignatian Spirituality while also spending time forming community with their new Jesuit brothers. Seniors and juniors are trained to be small group leaders and sophomores assist with the practical running of events.
Junior Retreat
Leadership Retreat
Utilizing the Gospel stories of discipleship, the juniors spend the day reflecting on what it means to be taking on the mantle of leadership from the seniors. How will the lead? Who will they become as a class and as an individual? At the mass, the juniors are given a cross – the symbol of Christ’s passion – and are invited to lead as Jesus did, to take up their cross and follow Him.
Sophomore Retreat
The Midpoint Retreat
Utilizing the story of St. Ignatius as a framework, the sophomore retreat is a reflection on relationships as the students contemplate what they want out of life and what comprises their own “coming of age” story. The sophomores receive a key as a token of trust and their ongoing commitment to Jesuit.
Senior Retreat
Kairos
Inspired by the vision of St. Ignatius of Loyola, all Jesuit schools assist their students in appreciating the richness of God’s creation, wrestling with the basic questions of human existence, listening for God’s personal call, and responding with a generosity beyond the ordinary and commonplace. Jesuit’s Senior Retreat is one of the many gifts and privileges of senior year and of their entire Jesuit education. It allows them time away from campus, all academics, athletics, and extracurricular activities, to reflect on their joinery into, throughout, and beyond the doors of Jesuit. Students are asked to choose between two options for senior retreat. The Senior Kairos retreat (Kairos – a Greek word meaning the “right time”) is an opportunity for the students to look inward at who they are, upward at who God is, and outward towards who God is calling them to be. The Silent Directed retreat gives the students an opportunity to experience some of highlights of the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius.