Learning and growing in our faith is a pivotal part of catholic education. As Kennedy students, we are always working towards strengthening our relationship with God and being strong Christian leaders. Attending retreat gives us a chance to  reflect on our lives and learn about our faith. The Freshman retreat was held on Monday February 8th 2021 in the auditorium. In order to follow COVID-19 protocols all students had to be 6 feet apart and the grade was split into two groups. I am a member of the Sister Christopher group, named after Sister Mary Christopher O’Toole, who served as a math teacher, academic dean and principal for our school.

The Shroud of Turin Presentation

The retreat began with a presentation on the shroud of Turin. The shroud of Turin is one of the most famous physical pieces of evidence that Jesus lived. It is believed to be the cloth that Jesus was covered with when he was buried. There have been many studies conducted on the Shroud and many have uncovered shocking discoveries.  One discovery was the imprint of the face of Jesus on the shroud, which was discovered by scientists  through a specialized 3D scanning and  mapping out of blood marks on the fabric. Another vital piece of study within the shroud was the imagery development. Subsequently after developing images of the shroud, there appeared to be a face and body forming on the shroud within the photos. The image was so incredibly clear that it became one of the biggest breakthroughs of the studies. Of course all this information being uncovered raised eyebrows, however many of the suspicions people had about the shroud were debunked only to prove its standing significance to science and more importantly Catholicism. 

Examination of Conscience and Confession

Shortly after the presentation, the sacrament of confession was held. We started out by examining our consciences through the ten commandments and were given time to think about what we needed to confess. We are lucky enough to have the opportunity to ask God for forgiveness to strengthen our relationship with him and ourselves. Confession was followed by a film on Mother Teresa. The afternoon portion of retreat began with the rosary, led by sister Mary and was followed with a mass performed by Father Vaillancourt and Father Connolly.

Challenges to the Life of Faith Speech

  The retreat came to an end with a speech on the “Challenges to the Life of Faith” given by Father Connonlly, an alumni of Kennedy Class of 2010. The speech was centered on how we as high school students can stay connected to our faith and object to the flaws of pop culture in our lives. It helped many of us further understand the importance of keeping our Faith an important part of our daily lives. “If we fall don’t despair, know he is with us and in that great love he will pick us up time and time again” – Father Connolly