With the anxiety of midterms on the horizon, our first freshman retreat on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, was a spiritual getaway to calm our nerves and focus on God. We departed from the school by bus shortly after morning announcements. Our group was led by Fr. Robert Carolan and Fr. Eric Aning. 

The retreat took place at St. Mary’s Church, in Katonah. We all gathered together with Fr. Carolan to discuss how to live a Christian life in the modern world. With all of the distractions and difficulties this world has to offer, it can seem a challenge to compete with it all. However, Fr. Carolan’s insight helped us to put into perspective how we can make better choices and live as better Christians. After the discussion, we helped ourselves to delicious cookies and had time to reflect.

Next, we prepared for confession. Fr. Carolan brought us through the steps of the sacrament. He went through the Ten Commandments to help us examine our conscience before our confessions. We then said the Act of Contrition as a group and started going into the confessionals. We went on to celebrate mass and then it was time to go back to the school and return to our normal classes.

This was my first retreat at Kennedy Catholic and it was a great way to grow spiritually. I learned so much about leading a Catholic life, and I feel this retreat helped me to better understand my faith. As we prepare for a new semester, I felt this experience helped me to feel the Holy Spirit’s guidance and trust in God’s plan for me. I look forward to the future retreats that await me.

This article was contributed by Victoria Straley ’29.