Saint Xavier University’s Campus Ministry is sponsoring a special retreat for SXU women – Captivating – from Friday, Oct. 18th to Saturday, Oct. 19th at the Thea Bowman Center. The retreat aims to build fellowships amongst SXU students by having them share their personal stories of growth, faith, love, and of finding one’s self.
Teaonia Thomas, a senior majoring in nursing at SXU as well as one of the retreat’s leaders and organizers, further explained the purpose of Captivating.
“It’s about fellowship with other women on campus, building a community, and helping to establish relationships with women. Our theme this year is “love” and we just want every woman that goes on this retreat to find the love within their heart. You can’t love until you feel love. So, we just want to help young women on campus feel that love from within – self-love,” Thomas said.
According to Thomas, the Captivating retreat is a fairly recent tradition at SXU. It was started three years ago by Saint Xavier alum Kayla Jacobs and since then, it has grown in popularity and has become an annual event.
SXU’s Campus Ministry already holds two popular retreats on campus – Quest for first-year and transfer students and Awakenings for all other students. Amanda Novak, a senior majoring in English/ secondary education and also one of Captivating’s retreat leaders, explained the purposes behind these retreats.
“With Quest, we try to transition into the college life and Awakenings is more personal growth within you. Awakenings is kind of how the name is – you’re supposed to “awaken” yourself. The reason why we do Awakenings is so that people not only connect with each other and make new, life-long friends, but to also inspire personal growth and find one’s self in life.,” Novak said.
Meanwhile, Thomas commented on how Captivating relates to the two.
“After you’ve done that quest and after you’ve been awakened, you go on the women’s retreat to work within self and to find that love so that you could take what you’ve learned at Quest and what you’ve experienced in Awakenings and you could share it with whoever you meet,” Thomas added.
Thomas assures that even if one has not been on Quest or Awakenings, students can still attend the Captivating women’s retreat.
The cost to attend the retreat is $30 per person, but financial aid is available to students who want to attend, but may not be able to afford it.
Registration and payment for the retreat are due October 15th and students may obtain an application form from Thomas or one of the retreat leaders. Applications and fees can be turned in at the Mercy Ministry Center’s front desk in the university’s chapel.
Reflecting on her personal experience from having attended the retreat, Novak remarked on why Captivating is a significant experience for any young SXU woman to have.
“When I went, I made a lot of personal connections with some of the girls on campus. I’ve known a lot of them from my freshman year and it was nice for me to hear their stories. But also, it actually helped me to see the beauty in myself. I think that’s our goal – to gather together to hear these stories and assure ourselves that we are beautiful women. Even though society tells us different, we could be ourselves – we could be loved,” Novak said.
Thomas also commented on how the Captivating retreat is beneficial to young women.
“I feel that as women, we’re always longing for that love, and we don’t know how to unlock it. Until we realize that it’s within ourselves, we kind of have those issues with self-esteem and not believing that we’re beautiful or not believing that we’re worthy. I feel that by coming on Captivating we can help you to realize that you are loved, you have love, and you are love and we could help you to fill that love shaped hole in your heart,” said Thomas.
Spots on the retreat are limited, so students are encouraged to register as soon as possible.
If anyone has any further questions concerning the Captivating retreat, one may contact Teaonia Thomas at thomas.t01@mymail.sxu.edu or Esther Sanborn at sanborn@sxu.edu.
Macy Zamudio
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