Starting off at Sacred Heart University has not been the easiest process for me as I am very close with my family. Not many people know this, but I am the first one in my family to attend a college institution which makes the transition even more difficult. This is because there’s really no way of asking any of family for advice or tips. Although at times I miss my family more and more everyday, becoming involved became something very important to me as soon as I stepped foot onto campus.
For the longest time, I’ve been wanting to become more intune with my religious background of being a Catholic. Growing up, I was grateful enough to have the opportunity to attend religious classes for 8 years. After I ended these classes, I distanced myself from God and my Catholic Faith. I felt guilty and as though I was at fault. Although I had time to grow my relationship with God, I simply never put any effort or work in the process of growing and strengthening my faith. When I discovered Sacred Heart’s Ministry, I knew I had found the right home for me and that things were going to be alright. So this weekend, it is why I decided to step “Into the Deep” by taking part in the Freshmen Retreat of 2019.
The Retreat from this weekend will always be near and dear to my heart because of the people I met, the connections I made spiritually and the peace I’ve received. There aren’t enough words to describe how happy and thankful I am for this past weekend. The stories, the activities, and the late nights I heard, participated and had with my many people throughout the weekend all had an important impact on me that I believe defined the retreat for me.
I’ve become more in touch with God, which is one of the best feelings in the world. The retreat has taught to always remain my true self so that others can see me and love for who I am. It taught me to put myself out there and let go of any worries or afraidness I have. It taught to have grace and faith in everything I put my mind to.
Most importantly it taught me the true definition of what a conversation looks like. Meaning when I do reach out to God, I mustn’t always talk, but instead listen. Let him speak to me and just follow along with what his plans are for me. When the end of the retreat came, I didn’t want it to end. I had loved every single minute of it and don’t want to let it go. I encourage anyone if they ever get the chance to take part in a retreat to go for it because it truly is something anyone can hold onto and look back and reflect on it forever.