Grade 11 Spiritual Retreat 2024: Growing in Faith, Journeying Towards Hope, and Living in Love

Organizing and partaking in a retreat has been an annual tradition in Manresa where students are graced with the moment to step away from their responsibilities at school and reconnect with their faith. In continuation of this tradition, the Grade 11 students underwent the spiritual retreat. For the boys, it was held last October 18-19 at the Manresa Retreat House in Quezon City. Meanwhile, for the girls, it was held on November 22-23 at the Sisters of St. John the Baptist House of Prayer in Tagaytay. 

On the first day of each retreat, students assembled at the canteen by 5:45 a.m., as they were set to depart from Manresa School by 6:00 a.m. Upon arrival at the venue, the students were oriented on the schedule of activities, objectives, house rules, and most importantly—the theme of the retreat: “Growing in Faith, Journeying Towards Hope, and Living in Love.” 

Throughout the retreat, the students went through multiple sessions that allowed them to spend personal time with God, connecting with Him in prayer and appreciating His creations. They also engaged in group sharings and received the sacrament of Confession. The retreat came to a close with a Holy Mass in the Manresa Retreat House’s chapel, and the students departed after eating lunch at around 1:00 p.m. for Manresa School.

The Grade 11 Spiritual Retreat 2024 was a successful outlet for students to solemnly reconnect with themselves and with prayer. Students were given the opportunity to more effectively understand what it truly means to grow in faith with hope and live in love in their lives.

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“It was eye opening.” 

- Franco Goze of 11 - St. Pedro

“The retreat was a very eye-opening adventure for me. From the lessons brought by our facilitator, to the fun and interactive activities, the whole journey gave me a new perspective on my spirituality. The retreat also strengthened my faith with God by showing me the importance of the 3 virtues and by showing me new valuable teachings about God. In the end, even with the short amount of time, the retreat is a moment I'll remember in my entire Grade 11 career, as it brought me closer to the person who brings unity and love in our world, God.”   - James Bauca of 11 - St. Pedro

“The retreat was very reflective and is a big help in knowing how to live your life with God. Living in the three Theological Virtues: Faith, hope and love allows us to be one with the holy spirit and with each of our family and friends.” 

- Rap Dillera of 11 - St. Lorenzo

“I would say it was extremely fruitful. A fun experience with important learnings, with good people. The memories made here will remain with me because it really helps me shape who I am. I am forever grateful for going on this retreat.” 

- Timothy Zamora of 11 - St. Candida

“Ok, at first, I was really debating whether to attend or not, but I was glad because this experience gave me a bunch of new teachings about my faith. It really helped me get closer to our Lord and provide me with important things to use in my life. It also made me closer to my batchmates and made me learn more things about them. I'm also really grateful for the ate's and kuya's that prepared us food and helped clean after us. All in all, this was a great spiritual experience for me and I'm really grateful that I attended!” 

- Paulo Barboza of 11 - St. Candida

“The retreat really helped me take time off from academic activities. This helped me realize that life is more than just having good grades. It's important that we continue to live in faith, hope, and love for us to live good lives in the service of God.” 

- Aje Caronongan of 11 - St. Lorenzo

“[The] retreat was a good experience to further understand 

how to become a true faithful follower of God.” 

- Kimi Goco of 11 - St. Lorenzo

“I found the experience beautiful and inspiring. I was able to deepen my connections with my peers and most importantly rekindle my relationship with God. I'm glad that I took the opportunity to go on a retreat, as I have learned plenty of valuable things throughout my experience that nourish my spiritual health.” 

- Rianne Dalida of 11 - St. Pedro

“The retreat absolutely exceeded my expectations because it was the perfect place to strengthen my relationship with God and connect with classmates and teachers! I had initially thought of not going but I’m glad I went because the activities and lessons/guidance given to us by the sisters were extremely helpful in helping us look within, evaluate ourselves, and create meaningful memories through the group sharing sessions, and reconciling with the Lord. The beauty of Tagaytay and delicious food was definitely a huge plus. I hope to go back there for our next retreat!” 

- Rocinne Guevara of 11 - St. Ignatius

“This year's overnight retreat at St. John the Baptist's was a great experience despite only being my second retreat during my time in Manresa. We were provided knowledge of God through various activities that included reflections and group sharings, as well as alone time with God—we were allotted around 3 hours in total over Friday and Saturday to wander the grounds in solitude to reflect and or to talk and listen to God. The most memorable experience was the time the group had to hike up the hill together towards the outdoor chapel while praying the Rosary after learning more about it; it was honestly tiring, but beautiful, and while we had to go back down, a light drizzle of rain poured upon us—we panicked, thinking the rain would grow stronger, but it didn't and stopped the moment we went back inside the main building. I believe that was Mama Mary acknowledging our prayers, so I felt lighthearted and happy after that. Generally, I can say I've learned a lot, and I appreciate the chance given to us to reconcile with God through reflection, prayer, confession, and mass after a stressful finals week.” 

- Elise Fernandez of 11 - St. Ignatius

“At first, the plan to have a Tagaytay retreat excited me a lot especially because it served as an opportunity for rest and relaxation. Nevertheless, it turned out that the first day at work was to be rather challenging, and I awoke fully exhausted. Thankfully, the second day turned out to be a liberty and a new beginning feeling in the house. Admittedly, the retreat has been very useful, yet I still found myself quite tired after it.” 

- Gabbie Guerra of 11 - St. Pedro

“It was enriching and provided comfort for the full 24 hours. The journey transformed me and highlighted the significance of vulnerability, helping me become a more understanding and open person. The memories that I have gained from the retreat will forever hold a special place in my heart.” 

- Chelsea Cruzat of 11 - St. Lorenzo