This past weekend, over 20 SCS students from across 11 different programs experienced an overnight retreat at the Calcagnini Contemplative Center, “Going Inward, Growing Outward, Seeing Things New.” The first in-person SCS student retreat since the global pandemic began, the experience invited registrants to say “yes” to a weekend of rest and to recharge along with interior spiritual practices taking place in individual and group activities.
A series of pre-retreat readings and preparation activities framed the weekend. Students had a chance to read in advance about silence as the foundation for meditative practices by exploring some of the wisdom offered by the Center for Action and Contemplation, a contemplative teaching organization grounded in the Christian tradition that explores interior practices from an inter-spiritual lens. In addition to silence, students read about the relationship between meditation practice and inter-religious dialogue from the book, “We Walk the Path Together: Learning from Thich Nhat Hanh & Meister Eckhart.” More than reading, registrants were also encouraged to practice mindfulness meditation in advance of the retreat and to select a sacred object to bring along to help them more deeply introduce themselves and their sacred stories to their fellow Georgetown classmates.
The weekend offered some surprises. A mid-March snow and wind storm made for an unexpected background throughout the overnight event. And while the spring retreat did not feel “spring-like” in a certain sense, the packed snow offered a layer of natural beauty in the already breathtaking setting of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Retreatants explored the snow while taking advantage of the Calcagnini Contemplative Center’s many walking paths and trails during solo and group nature walks. Much of the retreat took place indoors in the Arrupe Community Room with chairs arranged in a circle and a fireplace warming up the space. Group mindfulness and Examen meditations encouraged participants to experience silent reflection in a community setting. And a time for individual contemplative reading about Jesuit notions of interior freedom helped realize the retreat’s theme of “seeing things new” in the spirit of the Ignatian 500 year.
Beyond the potential mindfulness and spiritual benefits, the retreat was also fun! Delicious meals and the ever presence of snacks, coffee, and tea made for enjoyable conversation and fellowship among students, many of whom had never met others outside of their program at SCS. By the time the retreat concluded, a common refrain was a wish that it had lasted longer.
Making time and space for such an intentional physical retreat from daily life is an important ingredient of the whole person education articulated in the Spirit of Georgetown. Students had an opportunity to reflect on what the time away meant to them and how it shaped their self-understanding. This is a sampling of what the students shared:
- “I feel more calm and centered.”
- “The retreat brought about some important interior awareness that I should further explore and contemplate.”
- “I feel grounded in my sense of peace and community here at Georgetown.”
- “I feel more conscious about not judging myself so harshly. I feel more conscious about the importance of leading a balanced life.”
- “I am more grounded in the present moment and noticing things that I want to work on in myself. I feel great about the connections that I made with others.”
If you missed this year’s retreat but are still interested in exploring opportunities for spiritual growth at Georgetown SCS, you might consider:
- signing up to receive newsletters from the different religious chaplaincies operating at the University (sign up)
- registering for the SCS Daily Digital Meditation that I lead on Zoom Monday-Friday at 12 p.m. ET. I offer a version of the centering mindfulness meditation on Monday through Thursday and an Examen on Fridays (sign up)