Student retreats at LUREC offer opportunities for reflection and connection

This fall, Campus Ministry is gearing up for a series of retreats at Loyola’s Retreat and Ecology Campus (LUREC). Spanning 90 acres in Woodstock, IL, LUREC offers students the chance to explore wooded trails, observe local wildlife, relax by campfires, play sports like volleyball and tennis, and find peace in the natural surroundings. It serves as the home base for Campus Ministry’s 18 retreats offered to students throughout the academic year. 

Ramblers of all faiths and backgrounds can find community and personal growth at these retreats. The Search Retreat, open to all students from January 17-19, is Loyola’s longest-running student retreat. It’s designed to help students pause and reflect on their search for identity, community, and purpose.

First-year students can participate in Loyola 360, offered several times throughout the year for new Ramblers, scheduled September 27-29 for students in the Academic Enrichment and Leadership Scholars Programs; October 18–20 for all first-year students; and November 1–3 for honors students. This retreat offers an opportunity for first year students to meet other new Ramblers, build community, reflect, rest, and have fun away from campus.

For graduating students, the Senior Retreat from March 29–30 offers a space to celebrate their Loyola journey, practice mindfulness, and look toward the future. The Transfer Retreat, held from September 21–22, helps new transfer students connect with peers and student leaders who transferred the previous year. 

This year, Campus Ministry will debut a social justice retreat, Ignite, which will take place February 21-23. Ignite is a retreat open to students of all years inviting them to think about their social justice story. On retreat, students will reflect on how they got involved with the work of justice, explore spiritual foundations for their justice work, and figure out how the work of justice might be integrated into college and beyond.

Additionally, if students feel the pressure of finals, the Review on Retreat from December 7–8 offers a holistic environment to study and unwind.

Most of these retreats are led by teams of four to ten student leaders, many of whom are past participants, supported by two to five staff members. In August, nearly 60 student leaders gathered at LUREC for three days of training and community building. One student leader shared, “My retreat experience has given me the opportunity to meet people and grow more comfortable as a member of the Loyola community. Being a student leader has allowed me to hear from others with similar experiences, gain wisdom, and make great friends in a relaxed environment. I believe retreats are an invaluable part of the Loyola experience.”

Learn more about retreat offerings on the Campus Ministry website.