Building a Catholic Community: Beach Retreat

On the weekend of September 19th, over forty members of Elon's Catholic Campus Ministry gathered at Oak Island for the annual Beach Retreat. It was a weekend full of community building, games, prayer, adoration, and reflection.

We started off the festivities with some fun "get-to-know-you" games, followed by a closing prayer. After our early morning wake-up the next day, we fully devoted ourselves to the theme of the weekend, "Being a Warrior for Christ." We listened to amazing talks by members of CCM and participated in boot camp themed obstacle courses, everyone accented in warrior paint, of course. Before the break of dawn of the final morning, we were abruptly awoken, surprised to find out that we were all going on a "run" for Christ. We were led to the top of a large hill, where we prayed and then remained silent as we watched the majestic sunrise over the ocean.

One of the best parts of the weekend by far was the Saturday morning Mass that Father Gerry celebrated on the beach. It is always so much fun and fulfilling to experience Mass in such a different setting. Overall, the retreat was a huge success; everyone who went on the trip left with new friends, a closer relationship with God, and, hopefully, a nice tan!