From September 11-13, a group of seventy Bishop Gorman seniors took a trip down to Oceanside, in search of a deeper understanding of their faith.
Led by Father Jacob Knee and Bishop Gorman Campus Ministry, the twelfth graders attended Bishop Gorman’s annual Senior Retreat. Most of these students went into the retreat excited for those four days away from school, to take a break from the stress of grades, relationships, homework, and social life. However, they quickly realized that the retreat was deeper than more than just a high school hiatus: It was a monumental moment where they discovered their faith, and took it to new heights.
The Catholic retreats at Bishop Gorman are a bucket list item: the rosters fill up quickly every year. More specifically, the Senior Retreat consistently creates positive memories for the students in their last year of high school. The same goes for this past journey down to California: the students could not say enough good things about their experience.
“My experience was super fulfilling. It exceeded all of my expectations,” Lucia Mazzara ‘25 said. She added, “It was so much fun. It was really a nice rejuvenation period, being able to unhook from the real world, getting our phones taken away. It was really such a nice trip and I am so glad that I went.” Additionally, Quinn Marek, senior retreat attendee, said that his favorite part was “learning new things about everyone there and meeting new people.”
During the time away from the Las Vegas heat, an additional senior reflected on his time. “My favorite part of the senior retreat would be Mr. Manfredi’s and Mr. Crame’s talks. I thought they were very heartfelt and they resonated with me and my friend group, who all attended this retreat,” said Jackson Johns ‘25 at Bishop Gorman.
The theology teachers who attended this retreat had some positive takeaways from days in Oceanside, too. Mr. Manfredi, one of Bishop Gorman’s theology teachers, had a nice time with this year’s senior class. His realization was that most of the seniors “needed this time, needed this experience to step back and appreciate what this year is going to be for them.”
It’s true. Looking back on her time, Mazzara said, “I was able to have more realizations about who I am as a person, who I’m going to be in college, and where I’m going to go in my future, and it all ties into God.”
All of the attendees had one thing in common: all of them would highly recommend the senior retreat for next year’s graduating class. Mazzara added, “It’s a great opportunity to grow closer with your classmates, learn more about yourself and God, and prepare you for everything that this year has to offer.”
The bottom line is that Bishop Gorman has a strong faith formation program that helps students find the importance of Catholicism. The seniors that ventured to Oceanside for the weekend created more than just some positive memories with new friends, they found a true purpose through the development of their faith.
