On February 7th, Jesuit will be sending their 4th group of juniors this year to St. Benedict’s Lodge for their Junior Encounter.
The junior Encounter is a highly encouraged Jesuit experience for many that continues to have a lasting impact on students, leaders, faculty and staff.
Mr. Don Clarke, Jesuit’s campus ministry director, shared some of his thoughts about the encounter and how he has seen it impact students. He strongly encourages every Junior to attend this once in a lifetime experience.
“Many have gone on this retreat and then gone on to lead fairly productive lives,” Clarke said. “I received a phone call during Christmas break from a family whose three boys attended Jesuit. They started talking about the Encounter and what they felt it had done for their growing up. The boys had graduated 15-20 years ago and yet were still able to say what it had meant for them.”
Mr. Clarke also emphasized, “As with each encounter, I would hope to have the participants realize what a gift from God the experience is. If you ask the coordinators of each encounter, they will tell you that the schedule has been the same for all of them, but each encounter is different, mostly because the spirit of God moves in the different people sitting in your large group and your small group.”
For students like Keeli Grim, who will be attending the February encounter, she is hopeful.
“I hope to gain a deeper level of spirituality and just be more in touch with how I feel and operate.”
One characteristic of the Encounter is the secretive nature.
“I’m not totally sure [about the secrets], but I’ve heard from so many people it really impacts their lives and allows them to see certain things in a new light. I am hoping I will experience the same,” she said.
Mary Doherty, another student on the February encounter, shared what she is looking forward to most: “Getting to know classmates who I have not met or had any classes with. I have had many family members go through Jesuit and I have heard nothing but amazing things about the encounter.”
“I think that I will grow my relationship with God, my fellow classmates, and a deeper connection with nature,” she said. “I hope to gain a deeper sense of love with my classmates and newfound connections to my spiritual life.
Abby Bartow, a senior leader for this encounter, shared her motivation for taking on the role.
“The senior leaders in my encounter made my experience so special, and I wanted to help create that atmosphere for the juniors,” she said.
The junior encounter is a great opportunity for students to connect with each other and be present in this special experience.
“We encourage juniors to reach out to each other in small groups and beyond. We have activities that involve the whole group, individual, and small groups. The seniors inspire the juniors to share by sharing some of their own experiences,” Abby explained. “I hope the encounter lets students know how truly loved they are, and I hope they can all find joy in connecting with new people.”
As the February Junior Encounter approaches quickly, Mr. Clarke is looking forward to it.
“The encounter has a possibility to change the way people see themselves,” he said. “And it is pretty close to what St. Ignatius is asking us to do.”
