Dear Mercy Junior Parents,
Greetings from the Pastoral Ministry Office at Mercy High School! Here at Mercy we are very proud to offer our students a four-year retreat program. Each year, your daughter has an opportunity to attend a retreat sponsored by Mercy's Pastoral Ministry Office. As a freshwoman, the retreat focuses on the gifts that each human person is blessed with and how they can begin to recognize those gifts and share them with others. At the sophomore retreat, the focus is on service and how the student can use the gifts and talents that she started to recognize as a freshman, to better serve her family and the community around her.
The theme of the junior retreat is "Finding God in All Things: Seeing with the Eyes of Faith," and it is third step of the four-year retreat program at Mercy. In the past, the girls have gone away for two days and one night while we focus on who God is and where God can be found in our lives. It is an important step in our retreat process. Our retreat program culminates in their senior year where the young women have the opportunity to participate in the KAIROS retreat! In that retreat we look at recognizing God in the people, places and things in their lives and most importantly seeing God within themselves.
Junior retreat and senior retreat have traditionally been optional whereas freshman and sophomore retreat are mandatory. KAIROS is always well attended. The number of juniors who have elected to attend this optional retreat this year however, has been very low. So as a school we have decided to provide the junior class with a one day retreat experience to be held during the school day. The entire class will be required to attend this important retreat together.
We will be holding this retreat on Thursday, February 9th at Mercy Center which is located next door, directly to the east of Mercy High School. We will meet here at Mercy High School and walk over to the Mercy Center. Your daughter will leave for the retreat at the beginning of school day and return to Mercy by sign-out on the same day.
The retreat this year is mandatory for all juniors. There will be no additional cost involved. A portion of retreat expenses is being covered by the activities fee you paid at registration.
It is important that both you and your daughter are aware that she will be fully responsible for making up any schoolwork missed while she is on retreat. We do believe that retreats are a valuable and important part of the total education of your daughter, but her academic work should not suffer.
We hope your daughter will enjoy this opportunity to spend time away from her busy schedule enriching her relationship with God. We look forward to this special time together.
If you have questions do not hesitate to contact us by phone or email.
Sincerely in Christ,
Mrs. Judi Griggs-Dennis
Pastoral Minister