Article by James Dionisio ‘20:
“As iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17 )
Kellenberg Memorial High School offers a multitude of activities for its students. Its most popular is a club called S.A.L.T. Bearing an acronym for Service, Allegiance, Leadership, and Teamwork, S.A.L.T. is known for setting up and serving various events at Kellenberg that include faculty dinners and spirit nights. 33 sophomores were selected to embark on a spiritual retreat at Founder’s Hollow from Sunday, February 4, 2018, to Tuesday, February 6, 2018.
To start off the retreat, the students were taken to the Met Cloisters Museum in Manhattan. Everyone was astounded by the intricacy of the medieval Romanesque architecture. As soon as the sophomores arrived upstate at Founder’s, they all marveled at the beauty of the retreat house that was blanketed in thin white snow.
This retreat zeroed in on the “T” in S.A.L.T., teamwork. Brother Kenneth Hoagland, S.M., introduced the students to a series of team-building exercises. The friendship of the group grew rapidly during each activity, strengthening the collaborative atmosphere. During Eucharistic adoration, Father Philip Eichner, S.M. delivered a homily from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, saying, “There is one body, but it has many parts,” allowing the students to reflect upon what it means to be a team player. The first day of the retreat concluded with an energetic Super Bowl party, as everyone ate and cheered.
Many of the sophomores enjoyed the recreational time during the second day of the retreat. All of them had a large smile on their face after endlessly sledding down an icy hill and playing football. Later on, the film “Everest” was shown, leaving everyone at the edge of their seat from the intensity of the story. When nighttime struck, everybody gathered around a campfire and sung while gazing at the stars.
Once the retreat was finished, the members of S.A.L.T. had a reestablished meaning of teamwork. The fun-filled experience left all with amazing memories, as they continue their high school career. We all realized that S.A.L.T. is not just an ordinary after-school activity; it is a family that can move mountains just by working together.
