RETREATS
Held throughout the year, Mission and Ministry retreats invite Villanovans to step back from their daily routines, reflect on their spirituality and values, share stories and experience rest or a new perspective.
Grounded in the Augustinian values of interiority and community, retreats invite students to get away from the hectic pace of college life and focus on different aspects of their lives. Through group discussions, talks given by retreat leaders, meditation, games, fellowship and prayer, students can discover more about themselves and their deepest held values.
What do you do on a retreat?
- Slow down
- Relax and have fun
- Meet new people
- Take time away from technology
- Share and grow in your spirituality
- Strengthen your relationships
- Explore and reflect on your life decisions
- Come to know yourself better
- Encounter God
How do I know which retreat to attend?
You can choose the type and style of retreat you are most comfortable attending. Some retreats are quiet and include ample alone time, while others emphasize building community through sharing and group activities.
The pace of retreats also varies. Some retreats have lots of activity, while others are more reflective.
Some retreats are designed for specific students. For example, Escape weekends are for first-year undergrads only. We ask that these students attend an Escape weekend (held in the fall semester) before attending our other retreats.
How can I serve as a student leader?
Student leaders are an essential part of most of our undergraduate retreats. If you have experience attending retreats in high school or college, contact Kiva Nice-Webb.
Fall 2024
Date & Time:
Tuesday, December 10, 9-11:30 a.m.
Coffee at 9am
Program at 9:30am
Location:
West Lounge - Dougherty Hall
Audience:
Villanova faculty, staff, and grad students
Note: Villanova employees, with approval from their supervisor, may attend this one half day with no loss of pay or charge to vacation time.
Description:
Join together with colleagues from across campus to mark Advent during the busyness of the end of fall semester. This year, we will be using reflection materials designed by an artist group called Sanctified Art. Description of materials and theme from Sanctified Art creators: "Advent is a season of endings and beginnings. As the calendar year comes to a close, a new church year begins. When we ourselves navigate seasons filled with endings and beginnings, we need reminders. We need words that can feel like steady ground, like a path for our feet to find as we step forward into the unknown."
What to Pack:
Bring a reusable mug and a journal/pen.
Meals:
Light continental breakfast and coffee available
Fee:
This retreat is free for faculty, staff, and graduate students.
Registration:
Click link to register by Friday, December 6, 2024.
Date & Time:
Saturday, September 14
9 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Location:
Picotte Hall at Dundale (West Campus)
Parking is available at the location, or it is about a 5-10 minute walk from the Villanova Station of the Regional Rail (SEPTA—Paoli-Thorndale line).
Audience:
Villanova graduate and law school students.
Grad students of any or no faith tradition are welcome!
Description:
"We Search Together"
Meet your Villanova peers, reflect on who you are and how you are growing, and develop supportive relationships at this retreat for graduate students. You will hear from current students, share in small groups, and learn how Villanova’s Augustinian tradition can invite and encourage us all as We Search Together.
Meals:
Lunch provided
Fee:
Free
Registration:
Please direct questions to Brian McCabe, Director of Spirituality and Outreach, brian.mccabe@villanova.edu or Joe Nolan, Assistant Director of Student Engagement with the Center for Graduate Research and Education, joseph.nolan@villanova.edu.
Date & Time:
Opening Session: Friday, September 27, 12-1pm (Optional)
Retreat: Self-guided, self-paced between September 30-October 11
Closing Session: Monday, October 21, 12-1pm (Optional)
Location:
Opening and Closing Sessions in Garey Hall 10A
Audience:
Villanova faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students
Note: Villanova employees, with approval from their supervisor, may attend this one half day with no loss of pay or charge to vacation time. To inquire about this, please contact HR for more information.
Description:
The Busy Wildcat Retreat is meant for students, faculty, or staff who are longing for space in their lives to slow down, reflect, and connect with God, but who might have a hard time fitting a weekend-long retreat into their schedule.
This retreat looks to help us learn how to make going on retreat a part of our everyday life. During this week, we will be encouraged to intentionally slow down and make space in our hearts and minds so that we might be able to become more aware of God’s presence in the ordinary moments of our day-to-day lives. Through this unique retreat experience, we hope cultivating practices and skills like solitude and contemplation will give us the chance to grow in our relationship with God and our faith, and consciously put our faith into action throughout our daily lives.
Each weekday for the two weeks between the community gatherings (Monday-Friday, September 30-October 11) you will commit to 30 minutes of some form of prayer and reflection, using the materials listed in this guidebook to support your prayer practice. In addition, you will commit to meeting with your assigned spiritual companion twice during the retreat experience, ideally once per week, to discuss your experience.
The theme of this fall's Busy Wildcat Retreat explores the Christian concept of caritas, an unconditional self-giving form of love associated with God's love for each of us, one of the Augustinian values prized at Villanova.
Meals:
Lunch provided at Opening and Closing Sessions
Fee:
Free
Registration:
Registration is closed.
Questions? Email Kiva Nice-Webb, Campus Minister for Retreats, kiva.nice-webb@villanova.edu or David Walsh, Campus Minister for Sports and Spirituality, david.walsh@villanova.edu with questions
This retreat has passed.
Date & Time:
Friday, November 8, at 5pm - Sunday, November 10, at 2pm
Location:
Gretna Glen Camp and Retreat Center
Note: Transportation to and from campus provided
Audience:
First-Year Undergraduate Students
Description:
Get away from campus for a weekend of discovering friendships, exploring your faith and values, and energizing yourself to make the most of your years at Villanova.
Although grounded in the Christian and Augustinian tradition, Escape is designed for and open to students of any or no faith tradition. It is hosted by the Graduate Resident Ministers and led by sophomores and juniors who have participated in Escape.
What to Expect:
- Testimonials shared by student leaders, sophomore and junior students
- Considerable social activity, including sitting and talking in small groups and one-on-one discussions
- Moderate physical activity, including group activities inside and outside
- Time for individual reflection, reflection activities and relaxation
- Sleeping in bunk rooms
- Hall-style bathrooms and showers; single-user bathroom options also available
What to Pack:
- Comfortable, casual clothing for two nights and days (check the weather before leaving and bring layers for temperature changes)
- Sturdy shoes for hiking / walking outdoors
- Medications you usually take
- Reusable water bottle
- Sleeping bag or sheets/blanket and a pillow
- Towel and toiletries
- Board games, card games, or books for a low-technology weekend
Meals:
All meals are providedin the camp cafeteria. When you register, please indicate any allergies or dietary accomodations needed.
Fee:
$25, payable via NovaBucks or credit card. Registration fee covers all costs for the weekend.
Scholarship assistance to waive the $25 registration fee is offered through registration. Email Kiva Nice-Webb (kiva.nice-webb@villanova.edu) if you have further questions or concerns.
Registration:
Register by November 1, 2024
Spring 2025
Date & Time:
Friday, January 31, at 5 p.m. - Sunday, February 2, at 2 p.m.
Location:
Gretna Glen Camp and Retreat Center
Note: Transportation to and from campus provided
Audience:
Graduating Senior Undergraduate Students
Description:
Between college and graduation, “you are at a crossroads…”
Graduation from college represents an important life transition, a crossroads between your past and future. Whether you're excited to be moving on to what’s next or sad to leave good times behind, this retreat makes space for the messiness of transitions. To mark your transition from college, consider attending Crossroads: the Senior Retreat.
What to Expect:
- Time to reminisce on what your college years have meant to you and prepare yourself for whatever comes next after graduation.
- Stories shared by faculty, staff, and alumni
- Considerable social activity, including sitting and talking in small groups and one-on-one discussions
- Moderate physical activity, including group activities inside and outside
- Time for individual reflection, reflection activities and relaxation
- Sleeping in bunk rooms
- Hall-style bathrooms and showers; single-user bathroom options also available
What to Pack:
- Comfortable, casual clothing for two nights and days (check the weather before leaving and bring layers for temperature changes)
- Sturdy shoes for hiking / walking outdoors
- Medications you usually take
- Reusable water bottle
- Sleeping bag or sheets/blanket and a pillow
- Towel and toiletries
- Board games, card games, or books for a low-technology weekend
Meals:
All meals are providedin the camp cafeteria. When you register, please indicate any allergies or dietary accomodations needed.
Fee:
$25, payable via NovaBucks or credit card. Registration fee covers all costs for the weekend. If paying with NovaBucks, payment is due by January 24, 2025.
Scholarship assistance to waive the $25 registration fee is offered through registration. Email Kiva Nice-Webb (kiva.nice-webb@villanova.edu) if you have further questions or concerns.
Registration:
Register by January 24, 2025.