During their four years at Mount Notre Dame, students are invited and encouraged to explore their spirituality. Our retreat program is a four-year process: each retreat builds upon the previous. By participating, students accept the invitation to be open to God’s presence in their lives and who they are authentically called to be. Retreats are also a way to connect on a deeper level with their classmates as well as MND faculty and staff.
For more information on any of MND’s retreats, please contact:
Miss Claire Anderson
Campus Minister for Retreats (Grades 11 and 12)
canderson@mndhs.org
513.821.3044 ext. 344
Ms. Melissa Capella
Campus Minister for Service, Justice and Peace and Grades 9 & 10 Retreats
mcapella@mndhs.org
513.821.3044 119
Freshman Retreat
Freshman Retreat welcomes all first-year students into the MND community. This day of reflection is facilitated by our trained Peer Ministers, as well as members of the MND faculty and staff. Community-building activities, personal reflection and storytelling are designed to assist the students in getting to know themselves and their classmates better. The new Cougars begin to build a unified identity while recognizing and appreciating each person’s different gifts and talents.
Sophomore Retreat
The Sophomore Days of Service and Reflection focus on the theme of “Who is my neighbor?” and challenge students to think about the dignity of each person they encounter. Students select a theme from Catholic Social Teaching, which takes them to a service site in Cincinnati with that specific focus. Time spent in small groups at these sites is coupled with a day of intentional reflection centering on our “stories” and the stories of others. Sophomores will be better able to recognize a responsibility to make choices rooted in gospel values. These days are facilitated by our trained Peer Ministers, members of the MND faculty and staff, and other service learning professionals.
Junior Retreat
Juniors choose to attend one of four overnight retreats offered at the Bergamo Retreat Center in Dayton, Ohio. Students are given the opportunity to reflect upon their uniqueness, as well as the meaningful relationships in their lives and how God is present in those relationships. Junior Retreat is a wonderful two-day opportunity for students to “dig a little deeper” with their faith life and get to know their MND sisters on a deeper level. This experience is facilitated by the Bergamo Youth Development Team and chaperoned by MND faculty and staff.
Senior Retreat
Seniors have the choice of attending either Kairos or ROPes in their final year at Mount Notre Dame. Both retreats follow a very similar three-day, two night program and are facilitated by a team of student leaders and MND faculty and staff members. The team meets for seven weeks to prepare and is present for three full days of active involvement on retreat. Many students choose their senior retreat with discernment about what they most need at the time or how they might challenge themselves outside of their comfort zone.
Kairos is a time for deep reflection, relationship building, meaningful prayer and conversation about all aspects of a student’s life-journey. This year’s Kairos retreats are held at the Bergamo Retreat Center in Dayton, OH.
ROPes takes students to Joy Outdoor Education Center in Clarksville, OH and uses the outdoors to explore their faith-journey, to build community and trust, and to profoundly reflect upon the personal challenges they face.