Chi Rho Retreat @ Villa Maria Education and Spirituality Center (Questions? [email protected])
- What
- Chi Rho Retreat @ Villa Maria Education and Spirituality Center (Questions? [email protected])
- When
- 11/10/2022 – 11/13/2022
Departing on November 10th @ 4:15 pm; Returning on November 13th @ 3:30 pm
Dear Parents/Guardians of Juniors and Seniors,
This generation of teens has been termed by some as "The Loneliest Generation." Although our students have many online friends and are more technologically connected than ever, they struggle to engage in the here and now and feel more isolated than ever, especially this year during the pandemic.
There is an opportunity for your child coming up that will get them to put down their phones, engage with each other, and take a deep look at their relationship with God. This opportunity is the student-led, adult-run Chi Rho retreat. This is the seventh year for Chi Rho at OLSH and it has been a resounding success.
This multi-day retreat, which is open to juniors and seniors, is powerful and popular because it combines faith, a strong community, healthy competition, involved and caring faculty and student leaders, and the challenge of a virtuous life.
On the Chi Rho retreat, your child will be asked to put down their phones and experience what it means to connect with other students in real time and in person. They will learn about their peers' struggles and victories in their spiritual lives. They will hear their teachers speak about their faith lives. They will learn that they are not alone in their struggles and victories as teenagers approaching young adulthood.
The central purpose of the Chi Rho retreat is to lead retreatants into a relationship with Jesus Christ through His Church and give them the vision, the tools, and the community to continue living out that relationship throughout their lives.
The Chi Rho Retreat Team
Download Permission Slip
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is the retreat?
This year’s retreat will be held at the Villa Maria Education and Spirituality Center in Villa Maria, PA, just outside of Newcastle, PA. The retreat runs from afterschool on Thursday, November 10 through Sunday afternoon, November 13, 2022. Gluten-free and dairy-free options are available from food service.
Are there scholarships available to offset the cost?
Cost of the retreat is $170 per student. There are scholarships available. Please contact Campus Minister Caitlin Snatchko at [email protected] to inquire. Permission forms and payment are due by October 18th.
Will my child have his or her cell phone?
Students may bring their cell phones to the retreat, but we will hold onto them during the retreat to minimize distractions. Students will be able to call home whenever they ask for permission. You will have an emergency contact number in case you need to get in touch with us. Students will not be allowed to leave during the retreat except in special circumstances. It is disruptive to the small groups and overall retreat to have people coming and going.
What is the structure of the retreat?
Generally, each day will include multiple athletic and mental competitions between student teams, talks given by senior student leaders and faculty, free time that students can use as they see fit, prayer time and time for group reflection, and sacramental opportunities. This retreat focuses on helping students develop a holistic Catholic lifestyle of self-reflection, gratitude, friendliness, willingness to sacrifice, and regular prayer.