Retreat Week 2018: Community at Marymount and Beyond

9/17/2018

Every year at Marymount, students embark on a three-day adventure full of reflection, sisterhood, and prayer during our annual Retreat Week, a beloved tradition and a cornerstone of our Spiritual Life curriculum.

This week is an opportunity for students to explore their definition of community, reflect on personal identity and faith, and set intentions for the academic year.

“Learning how to retreat from the stress of everyday life is a skill that we aspire to teach at Marymount,” said Ms. Rebecca Bostic, Director of Spiritual Life. “Not only do retreats help girls learn how to step back and reflect on their lives, it also teaches them the importance of building and belonging to a supportive community. Our hope is that this week serves as a time for students to contemplate the bigger questions and issues in life.”

Freshmen activities focused on building new friendships, understanding their calling to serve the broader community, and learning about Marymount’s and the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary’s emphasis, “That all may have life and have it to the full.”

Both the Freshmen and Sophomores separately visited several Los Angeles organizations that Marymount frequently partners with, including:

A Place Called Home (APCH) – APCH provides South Central children and teens with love, safety, enrichment, training, and opportunities through educational programs, counseling, and mentorship.
Homeboy Industries – This organization offers hope, training, and support to former gang members and previously incarcerated men and women. Each year over 10,000 individuals throughout Los Angeles come through Homeboy Industries’ doors in an effort to make a positive change in their lives.
LA Regional Food Bank - LA Food Bank is a major player in the fight against hunger in the Los Angeles Metro area. The food bank hosts programs that help children, seniors, and families get food, learn about nutrition, and/or apply for CalFresh.

“At APCH, Freshmen saw the amazing work that this non-profit does to improve lives and give marginalized children tools to live their life to the fullest extent possible,” Ms. Bostic said. “And they had fun, made new friends, and developed the personality of their Class of 2022 while experiencing community service.”

Sophomores explored personal limits at the Fulcrum Ropes course while supporting classmates vulnerable to new challenges. Each student also expanded their notion of community and service with visits to Homeboy, APCH, and the LA Regional Food Bank.

Meanwhile, Juniors traveled by bus to Ojai, Calif., for a three-day, two-night stay at the Forest Home Retreat Center. The Class of 2020 hiked, swam, and zip-lined, while exploring community-unity through their classmates’ diversity.

Seniors also bused together to their two-night retreat at Serra Retreat Center in Malibu, Calif. The Class of 2019’s retreat week theme, “One Heart, One Mind,” allowed Seniors to pray and celebrate with their Sailor Sisters.

“They really looked back on relationships that have guided and supported them and looked into their class to celebrate wonderful traits of each member of the Class of 2019,” Ms. Bostic said. “They are coming back to campus more bonded than ever and ready to take on the role of school leaders.”

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