As another semester passes, another Awakenings came and went.
SXU Campus Ministry hosted their Spring Semester Awakenings retreat from April 5th-7th.
As previous reports stated, while much mystery and nuance surrounds the Awakenings retreat in an attempt to preserve the sanctity of the weekend, the overwhelming consensus is that the retreat never disappoints, and this time was no different.
One attendant was Matthew Foley, a Leader at this semester’s Awakenings.
Foley had just attended Awakenings as a retreatant only 6 months prior to participating as a leader. Foley shared that his experience with Campus Ministry was one that blossomed from the beginning.
“I was very distant at first, but I felt instantly welcomed. It’s my little home!”
When asked what it was like after seeing both perspectives, Foley said “Leaders have to do a lot.
“A lot of the process is looking within and doing a lot of introspection. It was a very healing experience. I was able to learn a lot about myself. Witnessing other people going through the process was super humbling. I was happy to see our family grow.”
Foley also had to commend those who laid the groundwork for Awakenings. “It was really amazing to see it. It seems really crazy how someone sat and imagined all of this up. And it was just as crazy, if not more, so think about how I had the ability to help lead people on their journey. I liked it way more than being a retreatant.”
Foley was also asked what aspects he considered about the experience felt stronger as a retreatant. Being a retreatant is really special because you don’t know anything at all. You don’t know the little surprises. Because I went from retreatant straight to leader, there were still some surprises to me. But like I said, being a leader was definitely better because I could watch how other people reacted. As a retreatant, I was really anxious and uncomfortable, but this time around, I had already felt like I belonged there.”
Foley made it a point that Campus Ministry plays a vital role in the lives of students that choose to get involved. “I love Campus Ministry. They’re the only reason I stay at SXU and they don’t get enough of the spotlight.No matter who you are, how you identify, they truly accept you. A lot of people in campus Ministry, like [Eleanore Menke] share a similar mentality. That despite your circumstances, you are deserving of love. It’s so different. You can tell that everyone there has experienced some stuff; they’ve seen it all, been through it all.”
Foley shared that he felt a call to lead as soon as he did. “I was my time to be vulnerable and share. This year has been the worst for me. Every year seems to one up each other. At Awakenings [as a retreatant], you get to slightly unpack that. As a Leader, you need to completely unpack it. So I did, and it feels great. It needed to happen, and now I have this weight off of my shoulders. I felt like I needed to lead and to be heard.”
Following the Awakenings high, Foley shared his lament saying farewell to Campus Ministry’s Eleanore Menke and Amanda Sheridan. “I was really sad. Taking stuff down, I was crying. It’s [Menke’s] and [Amanda]’s final Awakening, and I can’t even think about what Awakenings is going to be like without them. Through the process, I’ve grown incredibly close with them. They’ve beared witness to a lot of my truth and have supported me. With all that emotion, I was so devastated.”
Despite it all, however, Foley was glad that he led when he did. “Every time I go to Awakenings, I take something from it. The first time around, I constantly told myself that I was going to be okay. This time around, I told myself that had a responsibly to be the light for someone else. So I began to surround myself with positivity, and it’s been great.”
When asked to summarize Awakenings as a retreatant with 3 words, Foley used “Intense, humbling, and inspiring. I was reminded that it’s okay to be a little messed up. I was just inspired by the vulnerability that everyone was willing to share.”
As a Leader, Foley said, “Powerful, Inspiring, and Love. I know I said inspiring twice. Everyone was just so in love with each other and we saw that in the retreatants as well. It was just a room where everyone was full of love.”
SXU Campus Ministry currently has Quest (Awakenings for First-Years) applications available on theDen.
Eric Perez
News Reporter