Have you ever wondered how to have fun, pray with Jesus and grow a closer relationship at the same time? Well, don’t think of it as a miracle, but the Year 7 students just did this at our retreat set up by Net (National Evangelisation Team) and assisted by our lovely Year 13 prefects on Monday 2 March 2026.
The leaders joined us altogether in activities which were so creative, and all topics led to a central theme – God and the wonders in the small things.
After connecting through games, we split into our smaller groups which allowed us to share and listen through different activities.
As we rushed into the Auditorium, after interval, we were blessed to receive Kai beginning the session by sharing his story of how he became a strong-willed person in his Catholic faith. His story had all of us wondering – How do we find Jesus in our lives? How well do we understand the wonders of Jesus? Leading into the second part of Kai’s story, he shared his vulnerable moments.
Following the second part of his story, we were split into our small groups again where we gathered to do a ‘wonder paper’. In this group activity we all wrote down where we encounter wonder in our lives, we contributed ideas of our wonders and what distracts us from spending time with our God. This helped us reflect on the importance of focusing more on God’s presence in our lives instead of being consumed by our devices.
Then we played a game where people got chosen and had to describe to their peer the shade of the colour that was highlighted. This activity was very enjoyable because it highlighted the great sportsmanship of Sancta Maria College
After lunchtime we walked back to the auditorium – the curtains were all closed and the room was dim. There was calming music that set a relaxed vibe. The leader quietly mentioned that it was time for us to reflect on our day, so everyone closed their eyes as they quietly reflected on all the great memories experienced throughout the day. Once everybody was inside and had time to reflect, we were given our final activity. There were pictures on the ground of all sorts of things like nature and objects. We were told to take a picture that reminded us of God and how we can see him through the picture in our hand.
We all calmly took a picture one at a time, that resonated with us, while some students went to the back of the auditorium where the net members were, to get a prayer said for them.
Once we had finished prayer time and reflecting, we ended our great retreat with a fun game! The Year 7 retreat was fun – we got to know each other better and connected with God more through sharing. Thank you to everyone who supported and managed this day for us.
