Every November, Saint Francis Mission and Ministry hosts the Encounter Retreat, a 10-hour event helping students encounter God through various aspects of their lives. This year, the retreat happened on November 9, led by IGNITE moderator Mr. Chris Mardesich as well as the student Core leaders. The retreat structure was broken into five sessions: encountering Christ through retreat, suffering, prayer, sacraments, and community, each of which had a testimony and small group discussion. Throughout the day, there was time for games, community building, Mass, adoration, and a final prayer.
Jacob Jelley (’26), who helped lead the retreat, stated, “I’d say the most impactful part of Encounter for me is hearing the variety of stories not just in the testimonies but from all the people you get to talk to… The same can be said for my favorite testimony, which happened to be the first one, from Row.” Mr. Row David, a youth minister from the diocese, talked about how his experience at a retreat in high school helped him find his faith and identity. This testimony helped Jelley see “how quickly a life can be turned around by one event.” It also made him think about “how many people, including [himself], God was acting through to bring a similar story in yet another person.” For the third session, which was about prayer, Ms. Andrea Joslyn talked about how prayer can look different for different people. Patrick Oshatz (’26) was “moved by the image she shared of a child falling asleep in the arms of Jesus. It made [him] realize that falling asleep in prayer is actually a beautiful expression of closeness with Him.”
The retreat centered around both community and personal reflection with God. Junior Sophia Jison said that she “saw God in each and every educator, student, and member of our community who came to Encounter.” The event welcomed over sixty students, educators, and adults from the diocese.
Students participating in the sacrament of confirmation through Saint Francis this year attended the retreat as part of their confirmation journey. Sophia Cordoni (’25), one of these students, said that the retreat allowed the community to “be vulnerable with one another and see each other outside of the classroom.” She added, “The retreat gave me an opportunity to escape from all the busyness, technology, and pressures in my everyday life—which allowed me to really be present and it gave me opportunities to reflect. It made me realize how important it is to dedicate time to grow in my faith, and I now incorporate that into my daily routine. I think my relationship with God has come out stronger, because I now see Him as a more present and active thing in my life.”
Like Cordoni, Joseph Santos (’26) appreciated the time for reflection with God: “I felt I was able to encounter Christ in [the] more quiet times… and I felt like God was truly with me… as I communicated with him in silent prayer, unrestricted by fear or judgment. Just me and God.” Additionally, Oshatz noted the adoration for the Blessed Sacrament after Mass as his favorite part of the retreat. “There was something profoundly moving about kneeling before the consecrated host, fully aware of God’s presence in front of me. In those moments, I felt a sense of peace and connection, as if every distraction and worry had fled away. Praying in His presence brought a depth to my faith that I rarely ever experience.”
Aside from the final activity of the night (a secret to all but those who attended Encounter), the most impactful part of my fourth and final Encounter was Ava Grace Sanchez’s (’25) testimony on encountering Christ through community. She talked about Prayer O’clock, a tradition that Noah Ramirez (’25) shared with her this summer. Each night, her phone alarm goes off at 9 P.M. with a reminder to do one simple thing: pray. Unbeknownst to them, when each retreat participant gave over their phone at the beginning of the day, Sanchez set a daily Prayer O’clock alarm.
“While it’s a personal practice, it’s comforting to know that more than sixty other teenagers receive the same message,” Sanchez said. “I’m reminded that others are also taking a moment to think of me and the bond we shared while on retreat. We are united in Christ, centered in faith and prayer.” Since the retreat, I’ve received an alarm every night at 9 P.M. reminding me to thank God for the blessings in my life. The IGNITE group chat pings with a reminder that there is someone praying for us, and Cordoni and I send each other a “prayer o’clock!” text.
I’ve been to Encounter every year of high school, and each retreat teaches me something new about my faith and brings me closer to God and my community. I am immensely grateful that my final Encounter was one in which I got to listen to the varied experiences and testimonies of so many people in my Saint Francis and IGNITE family. Every Saint Francis retreat that I’ve been on has changed my life, and Encounter 2024 was certainly no different.
