As a part of their graduation requirement, St. Joseph’s Academy students are required to participate in a yearly retreat. During their freshman year, students travel off campus to the CSJ Motherhouse located in Carondelet, Missouri. At the motherhouse, the sisters of St. Joseph lead students on a tour of their home and share stories about their life and ministry. In the fall of their sophomore year, students attend an on-campus retreat led by senior students. The sophomores are split into small groups which are then led by two to three seniors. During students’ senior year, they attend Kairos, a 3-day off-campus retreat led by their peers. 

Each year in October, junior students gather together to participate in Junior Retreat. This year, the retreat was held on Wednesday, October 4th in the DePaul Room at St. Joseph’s Academy. On this day, junior students were excused from their classes and allowed to dress out of uniform. The retreat was led by Mr. Dan Huss, Youth Minister at Incarnate Word Parish in Chesterfield. At the beginning of the day, Mr. Huss told students that his goal in leading the retreat was to bring the junior class closer together. He hoped that by the end of the day, students would have discovered something new about at least one of their classmates, whether it was their closest friend or someone that they had never talked to before. Throughout the day, students were invited to share with small groups and participate in class-wide discussions. Junior Lily Heit recalls the impact these conversations had on her class. 

“Junior Retreat was a chance for all of us to get closer and share stories of where we are today. It made me feel closer and more connected not only to my group of friends but the entire grade,” Lily said.

Students were also given time to reflect individually. Junior Claire Bucher found this time as an opportunity to take a step back and relax, without the burden of school or extracurricular activities.  

“I thought Junior Retreat was a really great break from the stress in my life. It allowed me to stop and take a breather,” Claire said. 

For many students, Junior Retreat was an overall positive experience as it provided them with time for self-reflection and brought them closer to their classmates. The experience is likely one that students will recall fondly this time next year when it is time for current sophomores to experience the rite of passage that is Junior Retreat.