Our annual winter spiritual retreat provides our young people an opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and take some valuable time to reflect, to heal, and to strengthen bonds with peers. The retreat was held recently at La Salle Manor in Plano, IL, about an hour away from Chicago. 

“This year as we were planning the retreat, we wanted the youth to think about the impact of choices,” said Director of Milieu Training and Cultural-Spiritual Engagement Marc Velasquez. “Both their own and the choices of other people in their lives.”

The retreat kicked off with a presentation from the President of La Salle Manor, Scott Baietti, who talked about expectations for groups using the facility and the importance of respecting each other. Owned by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, the property features a large log cabin lodge surrounded by acres of serene natural spaces. Throughout the year it hosts civic, religious, and educational communities who use the space for spiritual and educational development.

Many of the sessions leveraged the popularity of superhero comic and film genres. The first, for example, was called “Heroes—Origin and Type.” The activity challenged participants to think about their own origin stories. Each youth had the chance to design a superhero symbol that best represented them and how that would be expressed within a comic strip.

“We wanted them to reflect on how they were a product of the choices they and their parents have made in the past, but we also wanted them to be empowered to make good choices for their futures,” Velasquez said. “This time, we did that through the lens of superheroes and got the youth to think of themselves as powerful and heroic.”

In another session, the kids participated in a scavenger hunt called “Not All Heroes Wear Capes.” After lunch and more engaging small group activities, they came together to share and reflect on quotes they were given earlier. They also each made their own lotus flower, a representation of spiritual enlightenment, beauty, prosperity and more.

In their free time, attendees burned off energy by playing basketball, riding bikes, and going on nature walks.

To wrap up the day, the kids pondered something they needed to let go and forgive. Each young person wrote a note describing that thing and tossed it in the campfire, an act that was both symbolic and therapeutic.

The retreat concluded with an activity called “Superhero Symbol Affirmation.” They took the superhero symbols that they created in an earlier exercise and affixed them to a banner, allowing everyone to recognize one another’s artistic work and to honor the retreat.

Spiritual retreats give our young people a chance to pause and reflect on their lives, their challenges, and successes. But it also helps them deepen connection with their peers, foster community, and learn necessary tools to help them heal.