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Faith Building and Retreats
As individuals and as a community, we are immersed in the fullness of life and are deeply committed to the many responsibilities that we balance. The occasion to deepen relationships with God and with one another—both through days of reflection and renewal and through overnight retreat experiences—are central to our growth in Christian faith. During their four years at McNicholas, students will participate in days of renewal during each of the first three years. During the junior and senior years, students are invited to participate in our Kairos retreat program, and during the senior year students have the option to experience either the Appalachia or Journey to Justice service-learning retreats. Click here for the Consent Form to participate in retreats.
Freshman Day of Renewal—Growing in Christian Community
During the month of October, all members of the freshman class will gather together to discern the many ways that their individual uniqueness will find a home as members of the McNicholas community and as members of the body of Christ. Through shared prayer, discussion, community-building, and faith witnessing, students will grow in their awareness of our school’s heritage, our commitment to service, and how our faith tradition manifests in our daily lives. Click here for Freshman Day of Renewal Information.
Sophomore Day of Renewal—Growing in the Spirit
During each student’s sophomore year, we will deepen their rootedness within their families, their circle of friends, and within our school community. With the assistance of McNicholas senior peer leaders and local youth ministers, students will explore their core values and priorities and develop decision-making skills that will ensure their fruitfulness as daughters and sons of God. Large group activities, small group discussions, individual reflection time, and a participatory prayer service will help draw students closer to the Spirit of God.
Junior Day of Renewal—Step into the Light
Building upon their previous experiences of faith, students will choose from an array of opportunities by which they will explore the many ways that prayer connects us with the sacredness of God’s presence in our lives. Faith sharing by McNicholas alumni and area youth ministers complement a variety of activities that engage the senses and creativity. Together, students will move toward embracing Christ’s invitation to be “the light of the world.” Click here for Junior Days of Renewal Student Rosters.
Kairos Retreat
For many students, Kairos is the culmination of their retreat experiences at McNicholas. This four-day retreat is offered to students during either their junior or senior year, and is grounded in Catholic incarnational theology. Kairos is an experience of authentic Christian community in which students grow in intimacy with God and with one another through small group faith sharing, meditation and reflection, and faith witnessing by senior peer ministers and faculty members. The Kairos retreat program has been a deeply transformational aspect of the McNicholas community since 1994 with active involvement from students, faculty, and alumni. Click here for the Kairos Information Sheet.
Appalachia Retreat
Every year since 1981, a group of McNicholas students travels to the Glenmary Farm in the Appalachian mountains of eastern Kentucky for a six day service-learning retreat. The retreat is rooted in Glenmary’s domestic mission to serve the rural poor and is facilitated by the organization’s volunteer farm managers. Students build Christian community both among themselves and among the people of Lewis County through service, shared prayer, and cultural immersion experiences. Click here to view the Appalachia Retreat Student Roster.
Journey to Justice
Since 2004, upperclassmen have participated in Journey to Justice, a four-day service-learning experience. Journey to Justice expands our school’s vision of a just world by bringing students face-to-face with the church’s work on behalf of peace and justice. By deepening students’ relationships with one another and with others throughout Greater Cincinnati, our community expands its commitment to action on behalf of justice.
Nicaragua Immersion Experience
The 2012 Nicaragua Immersion Experience is a weeklong visit during the month of June that will serve as an opportunity for solidarity, partnership, and accompaniment with the people of Nicaragua. Through our encounter with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we will grow to recognize our interdependence, and through our relationship, we will come to embrace a mutual sharing of gifts as members of the global community and as children of God’s one human family. Click here to view the Nicaragua Immersion Trip Information & Application and here for Nicaragua Immersion Trip Participant Roster.
