Retreats – Stuck on Search?
By: Michelle Wheatley, Director of University Ministry
Search is the longest-running retreat at Gonzaga and the program that usually comes to mind first when people think about University Ministry. Search is a “don’t-miss, make-your-friends-go (even if you have to drag them to Bozarth Mansion), your-parents-might-have-gone-on-it-too, Gonzaga-bucket-list” retreat.
There are good reasons why Search is built into the student consciousness the way it is. It’s a high-impact, whimsical encounter with the core of Gonzaga’s “special sauce:” a close-knit community grounded in love. Students regularly come away from the experience transformed, sometimes saying that Search has been the most important weekend of their life so far. They feel seen, known, loved and included. Walls come down, people become vulnerable, and God shines brightly in the bonds of a caring and playful community. Beautiful!
But Search isn’t the right match for everyone. Some students come back telling us that the experience was too loud and overwhelming, or that it failed to challenge them to go deeper in faith. Others tell us they weren’t ready for the retreat but felt pressured to go by (well-meaning) members of the community who insisted they attend.
And then there are the students for whom Search is too good a match. They get “stuck” on Search, not seeking the next opportunity to grow and deepen their spiritual life.
Search has a particular charism (gift) in the area of community development, but this is just one way that we desire for our students to grow during their time at Gonzaga. We also hope that they will develop a capacity for silence and prayer, the ability to engage in deep reflection, certain competencies in the Ignatian way and a hunger for justice, just to name a few. No single University Ministry program accomplishes all of this. However, with persistent and consistent engagement through a variety of different ministries, students begin to experience the formation that is characteristic of a Jesuit education.
You can join with us in providing personalized, nuanced care for our students by encouraging them to reflect on a couple of questions prior to registering for a retreat or program:
- What do you desire for your life and faith?
- Which ministry speaks most closely to those desires? (Learn more about University Ministry at www.gonzaga.edu/umin)
In this way, whether it is through Search or another program, we can support our students in their unique journeys of life and faith.