SPACE TO RETREAT SLUH is blessed with a second campus dedicated to the formation of faith-filled, spiritually grounded Men for Others. The Madonna Della Strada Retreat Center, located north of Troy in beautiful Silex, Mo., rests on 88 sprawling acres. It features a main facility, a freestanding chapel, multiple break out areas for small group meetings, a Spirit Walk nature trail and Stations of the Cross. The retreat center will become an integral part of the SLUH Campus Ministry program after it underwent renovations to turn it from a family home to a facility able to accommodate large groups for extended periods. It will be ideal for retreats and team-building opportunities. Madonna Della Strada, patroness of the Society of Jesus, means “Our Lady of the Way” in Italian and is the name of an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary enshrined at the Church of the Gesu in Rome (the Mother Church of the Society of Jesus). St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, was protected by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary during battle in his service as a soldier. SLUH gratefully acknowledges the generosity of Mary Anne and Anthony Sansone, Sr., who donated the land and property at the Madonna Della Strada Retreat Center in 2018. With the addition of the Madonna Della Strada Retreat Center, SLUH is just the third multi-campus Jesuit high school in the U.S.
GO FORTH Faith Formation is a primary component of the Go Forth campaign, which has expanded retreat program and community service offerings. Go Forth will relocate Campus Ministry next to a renovated Chapel at Backer Memorial, allowing for much needed facility renewal while also realizing new spaces for the spiritual and service programs that form students in the Ignatian tradition. Learn more at www.sluh.org/goforth.
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Take a video tour of the Madonna Della Strada Retreat Center
ABOVE: The retreat center chapel, named for Saint Therese the Little Flower and dedicated in honor of Fr. Michael “Marco” Marchlewski, SJ '54, provides a reverent space for Mass and prayer services. (Photo by Giuseppe Vitellaro ‘15, ASC)
DISCOVERING THE
CAMPUS MINISTRY
