OCALA | Trinity Catholic High School welcomed roughly 200 freshmen to their annual Freshman Retreat, Aug. 29, 2024. The added dimensions of intercessory prayer and the breaking open of the celebration of Mass, moved students in new ways.

Each year, peer ministers in the Servant Leadership class set out to make the freshman retreat a time of growing together and inviting the underclassmen to dive deeper in their faith walk. Through small group activities and stations, students reunite with old friends and make new ones. They also hear testimonies of faith from older peers who encourage younger students to draw close to the Lord.

Activities helped break down barriers and encouraged students to share vulnerabilities. Sadie G. is a peer minister who helped lead the “Spider Web Station.” As small groups came through, they were given yarn to hold. Weaving in and out, over and under each other’s limbs, the intricate web formed. But as some let go of their yarn, the web began to unravel. The imagery alluded to the similarities in one’s relationship to God.

“A web is a foundation for a spider. God is our firm foundation,” Sadie explained. “And the web supports the spider and God is our support. A web is always creative and different, just like God makes us in His image and likeness, but all different.”

Yet when one lets go, the relationship changes. The lesson is “everyone matters,” she said.

Although she helped plan many retreats in the past, both at Trinity Catholic and her parish, St. Paul in Leesburg, she said this one was different.

“(The students) truly wanted to be there, to learn about the Word, to talk about the bible verses we had out for them,” she said. “I could see some of the kids grow, just that day. They were especially open to the Lord. It was a very different atmosphere. It felt like home.”

She especially loved the intercessory prayer segment. After praying over four different students, their small group leader came up to her and said they were very emotional. “They felt like someone really cared about them and they were being heard. I think that was definitely impactful for them, knowing someone really cared for them and that the Lord is watching over them individually,” said Sadie.

Senior and peer minister Kayden M. agreed. “I didn’t have that my freshman year,” she said. “Music was playing in the background as each student was prayed over by either a peer minister, teacher, adult or faculty member
which included our president, our principal, and deans – so it felt more of a community. It felt more like a family.”

Freshman Andy S. was one of those students. He said this was “the most impactful and touching part of the retreat.” He also enjoyed the positive environment and discovered he could help in both big and small ways at Trinity, making him feel like he belongs.

Aina C. said the retreat made her feel closer to God, especially at Mass. Father Mark Wajda, pastor of Blessed Trinity Parish in Clermont, explained the parts of the Mass and Aina said it helped her to understand it better. They also learned how to lay down worries at the foot of the Cross.

Freshmen were asked to write down past wounds, pin them to the cross and give them to Jesus. The exercise made visible how they are children of God, saved by Christ. “It was impactful to talk about things that we weren’t comfortable with and then have the visual of putting it on the cross,” Aina said.

Theology teacher, Alex Feliciano, said he too could see the effect of the activities. “By the midpoint of the day their attitudes completely changed. Truly, their hearts had changed,” he said. “By the end of the retreat, the students had truly encountered the person of Jesus Christ in their older peers. This retreat allows the students to see that everything we do is for the glory of God and that Jesus is the center of all our movements.”

Christopher Rivera, the Diocese of Orlando’s new youth and young adult ministry director said it was unlike anything he experienced back in New York City. He was most impressed by the peer ministers.

“They provided young people the opportunity to learn about themselves, their faith in Jesus and how to incorporate that into their school environment,” said Rivera. “They shared how the freshmen could have that relationship with Jesus and spend their time in Trinity Catholic, preparing for the life beyond as full Christians in faith. It was a beautiful representation of what parishes and schools look like when they come together to seek the best for their young people.”

By Glenda Meekins of the Florida Catholic staff, September 05, 2024