By Feature photo: Students and faculty during morning prayer this year at Freshman Retreat. Photo credits: Carroll Marketing.
On Friday, Sept. 8, adventurous students of the freshman class spent the weekend at Legendary Lodge on Seeley Lake.
Held by the campus ministry team, and led by assistant director Deidre Casey, the annual Freshman Retreat with a spiritual high, with a weekend full of fun activities, small group discussions, recreation, and prayer.
“I wouldn’t be lying if I told you that the freshmen retreat was so peaceful and completely reflected my perfect relationship with God,” said Emily Mowat, a freshman nursing major from Billings. Over a hundred freshmen students attended, all from different backgrounds and origins, but all came together to enjoy the weekend.
Carroll’s peer ministers, FOCUS missionaries, and various volunteers helped make this retreat a success and possible. Additionally, new campus chaplain, Father Tyler Frohlich joined the group for the weekend, being a wonderful role model, and touching many hearts.
The Freshmen Retreat was full of interesting, insightful, and inspiring moments.
The weekend getaway entailed many events, including ice breakers, group sessions, hiking up the mountain at the Lodge, celebrating mass, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, dancing, singing around the campfire, and everything in between!
“I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but because of the retreat I got to meet and talk to so many new incredible people and listen to how God has worked in their lives and their experiences in their faith and at Carroll!” said Mowat.
It was also more than just a religious event.
The retreat was a wonderful opportunity for the newest students of Carroll to get to meet each other, make new friends, and make new connections.
College, being a huge transition in itself, can feel overwhelming and be a huge change for many new students, but this retreat was a great way to make this transition a little easier.
“It was a very unique experience to join retreat as a peer minister,” said AnneMarie Johnson, a peer minister herself. “It was very cool to draw deeper into my relationship with God and grow closer in friendship with the students I have been placed with this year.”
Everyone who attended the retreat got something back, whether it was a new friend, a deeper relationship with their faith, or just a fun weekend overall.
