Retreat helps prepare eighth-graders for high school

Friday, May. 09, 2025

HOLLADAY— The traditional eighth-grade retreat for all the Utah Catholic Schools this year was held on April 30 at St. Vincent de Paul Parish. Hundreds of students participated, led by student peer ministers, who were all seniors from the three Catholic high schools.

“Preparing the seniors to guide the eighth-graders is a rite of passage, since the senior ambassadors are about to start a new chapter in their lives at college and the eighth-graders are, too, starting a new chapter of their educational formation in the high schools,” said Peri Flannagan, director of the diocesan Office of Faith Formation, who organized the retreat.

The retreat started when the eighth-graders arrived in school buses; each was given a special T-shirt and a wooden cube. They were divided into groups and assigned a peer minister to lead them, then the activities began.

As the eighth-graders wrote the words “courage,” “connection” and “compassion” on the cubes, the groups were directed to three different locations on the parish campus: one stayed in the Holy Family Center, one went to the gym, and the other to the Benvegnu Center.

Each retreat participant was asked to reflect on the word “courage” using the Bible verse “So, do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29). They were then asked to answer the question, “What is something that is getting in the way of being courageous, and you need to let go of?”

Among the answers were fear, insecurities and anxiety about the unknown.

Each student also was asked to identify what they wanted to get out of the retreat, three courageous people and/or three acts of courage, and a time that they had to stand up for what they believed was right.

Under the theme of compassion, the participants reflected on the Bible verse “You are my beloved with whom I’m wonderfully pleased” (Matthew 3:17), and shared a moment when someone showed them unexpected kindness in a difficult time. They also were asked to consider how they worked through their feelings in order to forgive someone when it was hard to do so, and what super power they would like to have.

The last rotation was grounded in the word “connection” and based on John 15:5 – “I am the vine, you are the branches.” Here the eighth-graders played a game, had a group discussion, and wrote a letter to themselves for the future.

The retreat is one of several opportunities for all the Utah Catholic Schools eighth-graders to come together; others are dances sponsored by the diocese, and sporting events, said Mark Longe, superintendent of the Utah Catholic Schools.

“What we want them to know and rely on is that all is going to be all right,” he said, adding that sometimes students have some apprehension about their freshman year in high school, and the eighth-grade retreat helps ease those fears.

Ella Martin, one of the peer ministers from Juan Diego Catholic High School, said she understands those fears. “I came to my school halfway through my sophomore year and the transition was a little bit difficult and scary. … For these kids, I hope that they can, despite how difficult and scary it may be transitioning yourself into something new, know it will all turn out OK at the end.”