The retreat program at John Carroll is designed to enable students to get in touch with their relationship with God, others, and themselves. It is an opportune time to explore and discuss adolescent issues, development, choices, and decision-making. The four-year retreat program is a graduation requirement.

Freshmen

The new freshmen are required to attend a full-day orientation and retreat program held on the JC campus in late August before the first day of school.

Anna Scally has directed the freshman retreat for a number of years.

Anna Scally is the President of Cornerstone Media, Inc., in Santa Rosa, California. Anna is an inspiring workshop and youth rally speaker, youth ministry training consultant, and a disc jockey. She is a columnist for Cornerstone Media’s Top Music Countdown quarterly poster, and also the host fo the audio show Burning Issues, dealing with relevant youth topics. She was M.C. of the catechetical sessions for 77,000 young people at Mile High Stadium in Denver for World Youth Day.

Anna has authored several articles on popular music, religious education and youth ministry that have appeared in several journals and popular publications. She has traveled all over the world to make over 2,000 public presentations at youth rallies, training events, retreats, adult education days, and other youth ministry related events, including all the major conferences for religious educators in North America.

Sophomores

During sophomore year small groups of students go to Our Daily Bread, the largest soup kitchen in Maryland, to serve the guests.

During sophomore year we offer service retreats for the students. Small groups of students go to Our Daily Bread, the largest soup kitchen in Maryland, to serve the guests. The staff and volunteers at ODB serve a quarter million meals per year.

Sophomore Service Retreats to Our Daily Bread Website.

Note: The following schedule will be followed by the small Sophomore groups attending Our Daily Bread as part of their mandatory retreat requirement for Graduation.

Schedule

Leave JC at 8:05 by mini-bus to work at ODB from 9 am to 1 pm including our lunch break there. Return to JC by 2 pm and have processing session with Reflection time and Mass for that small group in the Chapel until about 3:30 pm.

Dress Code

Neat jeans or khakis with John Carroll uniform shirts and sneakers.

Final Requirement

Typed meaningful reflection on the service you performed that day:

• How has your service benefited those who are less fortunate?
• What impact has this service made on you, your values, your beliefs?
• What does this mean for you in the future?

Due to the Campus Ministry Office: no later than fourteen (14) days after your visit to ODB.

Juniors

All juniors attend an overnight retreat at the Msgr. O’Dwyer Retreat House in Sparks, MD. This facility serves the youth of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. This year’s retreat directors are Kellie Reynolds, Youth Minister at St. Stephen’s in Bradshaw, and Brain Bourne, Youth Minister at St. Margaret’s in Bel Air. There are six different retreats scheduled for juniors during October, November, and December

Seniors

The seniors attend a full-class overnight retreat at Willow Valley Conference Center in Lancaster, PA.