Sophomores Plan for their Future During Annual Spiritual Formation Retreat
posted February 6, 2015
On Thursday, Red Cloud's sophomore class arrived at Camp Norwesca. The small camp located near Chadron, Nebraska is both open and secluded, making it an ideal location for a spiritual formation retreat.
The theme of this years' retreat was "Rites of Passage" in recognition that the students are now at a pivotal point in their lives, moving from childhood to adulthood.
"Growing up is both a period of great excitement and opportunity, and a time of challenge and temptation," says Meagan McMahon, a teacher in the spiritual formation department at Red Cloud, and the coordinator of the retreat. "We created this retreat to help students take advantage of opportunities and deal with temptations in a healthy way. This retreat combined both cultural and faith elements that will help students to navigate this transition."
Another component of the retreat is to bond as a class and establish a strong support system between classmates. The participants were blessed with beautiful weather, despite the region's notoriously unpredictable winter weather, allowing them to enjoy deep, wonderland snow while a warm sun cast 50 degree temperatures.
"In addition to the spiritual and cultural reflections, the opportunity to go sledding and build a snowman as a class was not a memory that will be soon forgotten," said McMahon.
The retreat included several talks from Red Cloud seniors, a presentation on planning for post-high school life and small group discussions. The culminating activity involved coming-of-age talks by respected Red Cloud staff, Russ Cournoyer, the chair of the spiritual formation department, and Philomine Lakota, the chair of the Lakota language department.
The teachers shared thoughts on traditions and cultural knowledge connected with entering adulthood as a young Lakota before the students enjoyed some quiet reflection time and a delicious lunch.
"I think the retreats are an important part of the mission of the school—to form both their minds, hearts and spirits," said McMahon. "The retreats are a time for the students to step back from academics, sports, and all the other busyness of life to refocus on their spiritual life and to bond with their classmates."
Learn more about the Spiritual Formation Department