ne of the essential components of
the Xaverian experience doesn’t
take place in the classroom,
on the athletic field, or even at
800 Clapboardtree Street. It takes place at a
small retreat center situated within a quiet
neighborhood in Centerville, just a quick walk
to the beach. Campus ministry sponsored
retreats are one integral element of the
Xaverian experience, and on October 5, 2022,
27 members of the Class of 2024 made the trip
down to the Craigville Retreat Center for this
year’s junior retreat. It’s a two-day experience
geared toward ensuring that participants are
ready for one of the most important years of
high school.
After settling in at Craigville, participants
are divided into small groups. These groups
are helpful for processing the activities they
participate in and the talks that they attend,
as well as for fostering close relationships
among retreatants — whether they come
into the retreat already as friends or just
as acquaintances. It’s what Michael
Heaney ’24 looks back on as one of the
highlights of the experience. “I had a small
The Junior Retreat Experience
group that actually was many of my close
friends,’’ explains Michael, “but I was able to
learn a lot more about them than I would have
in a regular setting.” Retreatants benefit from
talks by peer ministers and campus ministers,
as well as dynamic scenarios that challenge
them to make moral decisions. They also enjoy
some recreational time, whether that’s tossing
the football on the beach or staying in and
watching movies.
The campus ministry program at Xaverian
offers a 12-retreat curriculum that spans
from seventh grade through senior year.
Each retreat has a specific theme that is
developmentally relevant. For juniors, it’s
decision making, and Mr. Robert Gill, P
’26, campus minister, notes that this is by
design. “Our junior year theology class delves
into moral decision making and juniors are
navigating the process of looking into colleges
and making major life decisions. The retreat
theme ties in with that.”
Mr. Peter Welch (who is new to the
campus ministry team this year) adds, “It’s
an important time developmentally when
students are thinking about who they are
and who they want to become. That process
is essential for their relationship with God,
recognizing how God is a part of these
decisions that determine who they are
becoming.”
“Retreatants come to recognize their God-
given gift and power to make decisions for
themselves, but not necessarily by themselves,”
says Mr. Gill. “They begin to see that although
decision making becomes more complex as
they get older, they will always have someone
by their side to help them, whether that’s their
peers, family, or faculty and staff…all the way
up to God.”
Written by Matthew Person ’24 and William Clarke ’24, Communications Corps
Josh Barry ’24, Matt Person ’24, Will Clarke ’24
R.J. McLaughlin ’23
Winter 2023
Xaverian Magazine
15