Retreats & Conferences Offered

Each grade level at Blessed Maria Assunta Pallotta Middle School participates in an annual renewal in which students go off campus to explore their spiritual foundations as well as develop stronger relationships with one another.  As part of these renewal days the students partner with retreat leaders from Columbus Catholic High School to deepen their faith, build strong bonds as grade level peers, and to explore concepts appropriate for their age and faith background to grow in their love of Christ and of one another. 

Freshman Renewal

The Freshman Renewal Day is designed to help students successfully transition into high school while strengthening their faith. Led by The Senior Leadership Team, the day includes reflections on adjusting to high school, navigating friendships, growing in faith, and becoming more engaged in the Mass. Through prayer, discussion, and personal witness, freshmen are encouraged to build a strong foundation of character, integrity, and discipleship.

Sophomore Renewal

The Sophomore Renewal Day invites students to explore their identity as children of God. Through peer-led witness talks and reflections by the Senior Leadership Team, and small group discussions, students are encouraged to recognize their God-given worth, navigate life's challenges with faith, and find strength in knowing they are not alone. The day helps students grow in confidence, community, and their relationship with Christ.

Junior Renewal

The Junior Renewal Day challenges students to embrace their call to lead with wisdom, faith, and integrity. Through witness talks and small-group discussions led by the Senior Leadership Team, students reflect on Christian leadership, the importance of seeking and offering wise counsel, affirming the gifts of others, and finding God in the midst of life's struggles. As students begin discerning their future, the day encourages them to recognize their vocation to serve Christ by leading with humility, compassion, and courage in their school, community, and beyond.

Senior Renewal

The Senior Renewal Day prepares students to carry their Catholic faith beyond graduation and into the next chapter of their lives. Through witness talks from faithful adults and time for prayer and reflection, seniors are encouraged to discern God's call, embrace the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and commit to living as disciples of Christ wherever they are sent. As they prepare to leave Columbus Catholic High School, students are reminded that graduation is not the end of their faith journey, but the beginning of a lifelong mission to share Christ's love with the world.

Sophomore Retreat

The Sophomore Retreat is a two-and-a-half-day overnight experience that invites students to encounter Christ in a deeper and more personal way while also creating Christ centered community with their peers. Through prayer, witness talks, small-group discussion, and personal reflection, students are encouraged to recognize God's presence in their own stories and discover that they are not alone in life's questions, struggles, and joys. Because each senior leader shares the unique story God has placed on their heart, every retreat offers a fresh and authentic experience rooted in faith and community.

At the heart of the retreat is an invitation to encounter God through the sacred liturgy and the sacraments. By celebrating the Eucharist together and participating in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, students are invited to experience Christ's real presence, mercy, and healing. The retreat creates space for sophomores to deepen their relationship with God, grow in an authentic Christian community, and return home with a renewed faith that can be lived out each day with one another.

Kairos Retreat

The Kairos Retreat is a three-and-a-half-day overnight experience that invites juniors to step away from the busyness of everyday life and enter into God's Time—a time set apart to encounter Christ in a deeper and more personal way. Through prayer, the sacraments, witness talks from peers and adults, small-group discussions, and personal reflection, students are encouraged to place their trust in God and recognize His presence in every aspect of their lives. In the supportive environment of Christian community, seniors grow in their relationship with God, strengthen meaningful friendships, and discover the peace that comes from trusting in God's time and His plan for them. 

More than a retreat, Kairos is an invitation to continue living in God's Time long after the experience ends. Students are challenged to embrace their God-given dignity and vocation, lead with faith and compassion, and carry the love of Christ into their school, families, workplaces, parishes, and communities. Kairos equips students to move forward with confidence, trusting that God is present and faithfully guiding them through every season of life. 

Senior Retreat

The Senior Retreat is a two-and-a-half-day overnight experience that invites students to celebrate the friendships, faith, and community they have built throughout their time at Columbus Catholic High School while preparing for the journey that lies ahead. Led by young adult alumni and Cedar Valley Catholic Schools staff, the retreat offers seniors the opportunity to step away from the demands of daily life to pray, reflect, and discern God's call for the next chapter of their lives. Through witness talks, meaningful conversations, and shared experiences, students are encouraged to recognize how God has been at work throughout their high school years and how He continues to lead them forward.

Centered on the themes of vocation and Christian leadership, the retreat challenges seniors to embrace their unique calling as disciples of Christ. As they prepare to leave the Columbus Catholic community, students are reminded that they are never sent alone. Grounded in the Eucharist, strengthened by prayer, and supported by the faith of those who have gone before them, seniors are commissioned to carry the Gospel into their colleges, workplaces, parishes, and communities with confidence, hope, and trust in God's plan.