VT Catholic Campus Ministries Vol 2 Issue 2023

F a l l R e t r e a t

Leaning into the Silence

by Ash l ey Cov i t z When I went on Fall Retreat, I had no idea what to expect. I’m not “officially” Catholic, although I’m currently going through RCIA and planning to have my Confirmation this semester before I study abroad. I was hesitant about standing out from the “real” Catholics. I originally decided to go to Fall Retreat just to get away from the craziness of my intense coursework, friendship drama, and club responsibilities. I signed up last minute, after debating the entire signup period. Going on retreat, I had absolutely no goals for growing my relationship with God. However, from the beginning of retreat, I felt God working. Newman has been so welcoming to me since first getting involved last year, and this retreat was no different. People introduced themselves to me, and even though I had never met them before, they were genuinely so happy I was there. They continuously checked in on me throughout the retreat, and I made so many new friends to grow with in my faith, which is something I had been praying for since last year.

Ashley, second from the left, at Fall Retreat

During the retreat, we had many opportunities for reflection with the Lord and heard about the importance of silence and listening to Him. As an extrovert, that is always very difficult for me. However, with the amount of time we had, it forced me to listen because I had run out of things to say!

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