MCA’s junior retreat proves powerful

Abbigail Alonzo,  junior at Mount Carmel Academy.

Life-changing isn’t the word. Mount Carmel Academy’s junior retreat was a spectacular experience that included many laughs, tears and hugs!
  
The theme “Friendship” was fitting, as junior year is a year of forming lifelong bonds.

Trust in our friends, trust in ourselves and trust in almighty God are key ingredients to successful friendships.

A “trust walk” activity at the retreat emphasized this. Girls paired up with each other; one was blindfolded only to be led through hilly terrain on the campus of the Solomon Episcopal Retreat Center in Loranger, Louisiana, by her partner.

Obviously, this was a nerve-wracking exercise because we had to trust another person with our safety.

This activity reflected our relationship with God. We are blind and cannot see, but God can. We learned to trust him and to let him lead us through the rocky terrain of life.

Confession was a time of reflection and realization for many. Those hours spent in the chapel were full of prayers, hugs, tears and many tissues!

Being in such an intimate setting with our Lord allowed us to come to terms with the wrongs we have done and to ask for forgiveness.

As I sat in the front pew of the chapel asking for forgiveness with tears streaming down my face while staring at the crucifix, I was comforted and hugged by classmate after classmate.

It was encouraging and soothing to see so many girls come together to support and love each other in personal times of need. It is truly breathtaking to experience such solidarity in God’s presence.

The whole retreat was refreshing, whether it was receiving an affirmation letter from a girl I’ve never spoken to or standing up in front of my class to open up about personal experiences.

I feel as though, in just two days, the retreat changed my life.

I formed new friendships with people I never would have spoken to before the trip.

I mended old friendships that I believed were far beyond repair.

I strengthened and enhanced already existing friendships.

And, I formed a closer and more intimate friendship with God.

We often forget that God is our best friend. We are never alone no matter how we may feel at a specific time in life.

Mount Carmel’s junior retreat allowed me to open the door to a better faith life and stronger relationship with Jesus.

I realized that my unconditional trust in God would be the key to the rest of my relationships and to taking the right path to heaven.

Abbigail Alonzo is a junior at Mount Carmel Academy in New Orleans.