SUBIACO — “God is here.”
College students participating in the Catholic Campus Ministry fall retreat at Subiaco Abbey Nov. 9-11 were given this message.
Forty-seven students from around the state came together to learn from each other and to further grow in their relationship with God. The students attend Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, the University of Central Arkansas and Hendrix College in Conway, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and Fort Smith, and the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton. It was the second statewide fall retreat for the students and was hosted by the diocesan Office of Campus Ministry and Subiaco Abbey.
“I think it (retreat) went great. Students were really participative and in tune with what was going on with the Holy Spirit,” said Deacon Richard Papini, diocesan director of campus ministry as well as campus minister in Conway.
“I thought the retreat was amazing. The weekend got me back into the groove of things in my relationship with God,” Sara Brannen, an ASU student, said.
The students spent the weekend with Brother John Ignatius Little of the Servants of Christ Jesus. Brother John Ignatius has served as teacher, campus minister, evangelist and retreat director in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, Steubenville, Ohio, and Denver. He is currently a student at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver.
Brother John Ignatius showed the students different ways to praise and worship and how to use the Bible in prayer. Throughout the entire retreat, he emphasized that God is present among the students.
Brother John Ignatius said God and his word should be one of the main focuses in prayer. He encouraged the students to find their own ways of talking to God and growing in their relationship with him. During each session, Brother John Ignatius had a student leader give a witness talk on each of the different sessions. During his witness talk, Will Burmester, a student at UCA, spoke on how prayer should be communal and that it is not just something personal.
Saturday was one of the most emotional days for the students. The afternoon was spent with Brother John Ignatius leading the students in a “healing of memories” prayer where the students recalled bad memories and gave them to Jesus to heal. Later in the night, the students attended adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. During adoration, students were given the chance to be prayed over by a prayer team consisting of students and campus ministers. The prayer teams were in adoration past midnight.
“Adoration was probably the most moving part of the whole weekend. Being in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, I felt Jesus was really with us. He was right there while we praised him,” Ashley Moore, an ASU student, said.
“I felt I could give it all to God,” Brannen said.
“The retreat was an emotional and spiritual experience. I felt spiritually cleansed,” Gina Billeaudeau, an ASU student, said.
