N E W S
A R O U N D
S C H O O L
In-Person Retreats Resume!
On Friday, September 21st, Notre Dame’s faculty and staff enjoyed a special retreat, hosted by Sr. Mary Dolan, SU, our Facilitator for Mission, and by Tara Crimmins from the theology department. After a hearty bagel breakfast, faculty and staff learned more about Ignatian Spirituality. Sr. Mary recounted the story of St. Ignatius, the pilgrim, visiting The Shrine of Our Lady of Arantzazu in Oñati, Spain. Arantzazu means, “You, Here?” The beautiful statue of Arantzazu was found among the thorn bushes. It was a surprise encounter for Ignatius, and after spending a night in prayer before this statue of Our Lady, he received a life changing grace for which he was grateful for his entire life. Sr. Mary asked us to remember times in our own lives where we were surprised by the unexpected. Often, surprises are not exactly what we may have chosen for ourselves, but we learn along our own human journeys that God is always with us, even in difficult moments, just like Ignatius found the statue hidden among thorn bushes. God’s unique, unconditional love for each one of us is always with us, no matter the circumstances of our lives. God is with us even as the global pandemic, and all the consequences of that, continue. Are we able to savor a sense of gratitude for God’s presence in our lives, even during these extraordinarily difficult times? After time for personal reflection and group sharing, the faculty reconvened in the Dolan Center and Sr. Mary traced the personal history of our school’s founder, Anne de Xainctonge, and her close connection to the Jesuits of her time. Anne risked personal
comfort and even a break in familial relationships to follow her vocation to educate girls as the Jesuits were educating boys. Her humane and open-minded approach to education lives on at Notre Dame today. With gratitude to Sr. Mary for leading our retreat, faculty and staff ended the afternoon in prayer and walked out to an exceptionally sunny early fall day in the West Village, ready for the busy weeks ahead of teaching and serving the school! Led by Theology Teacher Kevin McDonald and senior leaders, in-person student retreats have also returned Chez Nous. Our ninth graders thoroughly enjoyed their first high school retreat on October 7th. Mr. McDonald introduced our newest students to the concept of a retreat and the theme of Friendship— with one another, with oneself, and with God. The day opened with prayer and a blessing on the class. Students gathered in small discussion groups throughout the day, participated in a Trust Walk, and wrote letters to themselves to be stored and then delivered to them at the end of senior year. The day ended with a closing prayer from Mr. McDonald: Lord, let this time of being with You, with ourselves, and with one another bring new life to our hearts and spirits. Help us become more aware of what we need to let go of and what we need to embrace. May we come to a deep appreciation of the work You created us to be. We offer this prayer in Your name. Amen 3
