Foundations of Brotherhood: The Freshman Retreat

by Mateo Cisneros

From the deep, touching talks to the lively and exhilarating games, the Freshman Brotherhood for Good Retreat was a truly memorable experience and left a lasting impact on those who attended, including myself. 

This retreat was all about teaching the incoming Columbus class about what it means to be part of the brotherhood, and about how it connects each one of us.

The senior team played a huge role in this, giving talks about how the brotherhood directly affected them, and staying by us during the retreat to lead us in many activities. Being with them, and seeing how they interacted with each other, further strengthened our idea of being a Columbus student. It made us see first-hand the bond formed throughout the four years spent in our school.

The teachers and assistants in the retreat served a similar role, giving us talks and aiding us throughout the retreat. They made us see God in a different light, and encouraged us to involve Him in our everyday lives, especially in the strong brotherhood Columbus creates for its students. The teams assembled many opportunities, including a short mass, prayers of song and spiritual activities. These activities, especially the “Empowerment Circle,” all made clear to us that God loves every one of us and put emphasis on the fact that we young men are not so different from each other than we might think. 

While the experience offers many religious and spiritual opportunities, it also presents a considerable amount of bonding and thrilling events. With the teams made, we were able to form closer groups and get to know each other on a deeper level, making stronger connections with our brothers. During this time, we played games and discussed how we felt about the retreat. The range of games allowed everyone to be included and feel like they were truly part of the team. It ensured that every single one of us enjoyed ourselves as much as possible, while still building on the idea of sticking together as a team and as a brotherhood.

This opportunity is just one of the incredible events Columbus organizes, fostering the upcoming class and aiding them on their entrance to the caring brotherhood the school is centered on.