Junior SALT Members on Retreat at Founders Hollow

Article by Jacklyn DeCady ‘19:
The twenty-eight Juniors selected for this year’s Junior SALT retreat ventured to Founders Hollow on Sunday, November 12, 2017, but first, they visited the National Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Although it was cold outside, the juniors enjoyed attending Mass outside. The celebrant of the Mass was Fr. Philip Eichner, S.M. Afterwards, the juniors prayed the Stations of the Cross while walking around the shrine’s beautiful campus.
The theme of the SALT retreat was “leadership.” The students examined different aspects of leadership and what it means to be a leader. Bro. Kenneth Hoagland, S.M. displayed the leadership qualities of George Washington, Pope Pius XII, and New York City Police Department patrolman Steven McDonald to provide worthy examples of “showing the way.” To do so, he showed videos and shared articles with the Juniors. The students also engaged in discussion groups with the moderators of the retreat.
Later, students took part in recreation and toured Founders Hollow. The most beautiful part of the retreat was when Bro. Kenneth and the moderators took the juniors up a hill on a starry night. The sight was surreal. A shooting star flew across the sky as the juniors laid down on the grass in awe. The retreat left the juniors with a new, developed sense of what it means to lead.