Retreats

At SJND, we offer students the time, space, and ever-evolving language to encounter God personally within the self, the community, and creation.

A SJND retreat, in the tradition of Jesus of Nazareth, is the practice of temporarily leaving everyday life for the purpose of spiritual exercise and rest. According to student reviews on Niche.com, our retreats are consistently ranked as their favorite student life activity!

Our four-year retreat program aligns directly with our school mission, from which the general themes of belonging, believing, becoming, and beyond evolved to shape the program.

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Retreats by Grade Level

9th Grade

9th Grade – Belonging

Introduces freshmen to SJND’s welcoming, faith-filled community and builds class
connections.

The general theme of Belonging underscores this one-day retreat in which the newest members of the Pilot family experience “our faith-filled, diverse, and welcoming community.” Formative activities introduce 9th graders to the spiritual gifts of our school while also encouraging them to create class friendships.

10th Grade

10th Grade - Believing

Sophomores serve at St. Anthony Foundation, putting faith into action through compassion and justice.

Direct involvement with the social mission of the Catholic church enables our students to “embrace the teachings of Jesus Christ.” The broad theme of Believing guides the sophomore immersion retreat at St. Anthony Foundation in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District. Belief in Jesus’ teachings is lived out when students interact with and respond to the poor and marginalized with compassion, mercy, and a determination to work for peace and justice in our society.

11th Grade

11th Grade - Becoming

Juniors reflect on trust and grow as servant-leaders rooted in faith.

Keeping with the school’s mission to “develop confident, open-minded, and effective leaders,” the Fides retreat is an opportunity for juniors to reflect on how they are Becoming a People of God in trust and service to others. The focus on trust - trust in God, themselves, and their peers - helps build this community of faith and of servant-leaders.

12th Grade

12th Grade - Beyond

Seniors explore their relationship with God, self, and others as they prepare for life beyond high school.

This multi-day and night retreat invites our seniors to contemplate their lives Beyond the everyday, especially as they enter their final year of high school. The retreat speaks to the heart of the SJND mission that our students be “ready to live joyful lives of faith, scholarship, and service.” During Kairos, the seniors are offered the chance to explore and reflect on their relationships with God, self and neighbor, share life together, affirm each other, seek forgiveness and participate in communal worship.

He [Jesus] said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place (Mk 6: 31, 32).

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FAQs

Are the retreats inclusive? Can anyone participate?

What role does group bonding play?

In the retreat setting, the purpose of group bonding is to facilitate the spirit and atmosphere of trust that enables the participants to reflect each other’s goodness, which is rooted ultimately in the goodness of God. The love of God is discovered in and through others. Therefore, God is at the center of the bonding, and trust is the vehicle by which this bonding occurs. Community-building is a fruit of these spiritual exercises; it is not the driving focus.

What does SJND hope students will get out of the retreat program?

The SJND retreat program, in alignment with the school mission, aims at the cohesive spiritual development of our students with the hope that they continue to move towards interior maturity and full human integration throughout their adult lives.

This is a gradual undertaking from freshman to senior year, but the intention is that spiritual exercise and rest become a well from which they draw for their good and the good of all creation, particularly when the challenges of our world meet them.