Year 7 Retreat Session 2024
All in this together!

This week, and next, the Year 7 students will be participating in a retreat experience with their RE classes and our JPC Senior Youth Ministry Team (SYMT). The theme ‘all in this together’, aims to invite these students more deeply into being a part of our College and wider Church community. We want our Year 7s to know that JPC is a community where they belong, just as they are, and where they are never alone. As a school community, we are all in this journey together, and as a Catholic community, Jesus is with us in it all too! 

The retreat day incorporates the CSYMI (Catholic Schools Youth Ministry International) principles of Connection, Proclamation and Response. The leaders in our SYMT know these approaches to youth ministry well and have crafted them into a program for our Year 7s to discover and enjoy. Using ice-breaker games and team-building activities, our SYMT makes connections and builds friendships with the younger students. Then through engaging talks and personal sharing, the SYMT proclaims the Gospel by relating this to our theme of belonging in ways that our Year 7s can relate to.

Finally, in small discussion groups and other activities, the students can respond to what has been shared as they think about what they would like to take away from this experience. 

We are very grateful for the expertise and energy of our College Youth Ministry Officer, Ms Foley, who prepares our SYMT and helps them to lead the wonderful retreat sessions for our Year 7s. We also hope that our Year 7 students will know they belong to our community and are all deeply valued by one another, our staff and our God. 

Mr Matthew Bourke
Leader of Learning and Wellbeing – Mission and Ministry
Mathieu House