A hallmark of the Georgetown student experience is the opportunity to participate in retreats facilitated by the Office of Mission and Ministry. Whether these experiences take place on campus in the context of daily life or removed from the city at the University’s Calcagnini Contemplative Center in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Georgetown retreats put the Jesuit value “Contemplation in Action” into practice.
St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, believed that busy and engaged people needed forms of prayer and reflection suited to their committed and active lives of service. Short retreats bring this vision to life by giving students an opportunity to pause and take a break from the frenetic pace of life and work without losing connections with the purpose of their academic and professional activities.
This year’s SCS student retreat animates this characteristic of Georgetown by bringing together the diverse community of learners at SCS for a shared experience of intentional rest and relaxation in a contemplative atmosphere. Framed around the theme of “Quiet, Center, and Connect,” this year’s event will build on the tradition of past annual retreats. This 2025 theme speaks especially to the need for disengagement from the ever-present demands posed by our digitally distracting modern life. The pace of current events and the temptation to follow and react to everything happening in real-time can be detrimental to our inner lives. Generous action in the world depends on our being able to locate and activate the core of our true selves, a task that is only realized with intentional spiritual practices.
By quieting, the retreat hopes to help students push aside the intrusive noises. By centering, the retreat hopes to help students focus on what really matters. And by connecting, the retreat hopes to help students to relate to others in ways that build the bonds of unity and community in a time of polarization and fragmentation.
There are few remaining spots, so interested students should sign up today!