Page 14 - Paduan Summer 2017

Campus Ministry NEWS
Students Embark on a
Mission Trip to the
Dominican Republic
In July 2016, 12 students from the Class of 2017, along with Principal David Stec ’86, Director of Campus Ministry Matthew Harley, and Fr. Bob Stec ’79, traveled to Higuey, Dominican Republic to serve the people there through the organization Mission Possible. e team of students, as well as other missionaries, painted houses, prepared owerbeds and ower boxes, built bunk beds, and completed other needed projects for the community. e missionaries conducted vacation Bible school and a baseball camp for children and teenagers. As they worked, the students built relationships with the people they served and each other. ey also developed a greater awareness of world poverty. Students who went on the mission trip came back with a deeper appreciation of the blessings and gi s in their lives. ank you to the Franciscan Missionary Union, who has consistently supported Padua’s international mission trips. Several members of the Class of 2018 will be traveling to the Dominican Republic in the summer of 2017 to continue this work.
12 Summer Paduan
Students Re ect on Life During Senior Retreats
During the fall, all members of the Class of 2017 went on a Senior Retreat. Students chose from one of several options. Some canoed down the Cuyahoga River. Others hiked or camped in Cuyahoga National Park. One group biked on the towpath, while another zip-lined in the Cleveland Metroparks and returned to the Jesuit Retreat House for a re ection. e
retreats gave students the opportunity to step back and re ect on their rst three years at Padua, as well as a chance to look forward to the future. ey strengthened their relationship with God and their bonds with classmates. While zip-lining, students learned that unless they are connected to each other, they face the danger of falling down in life with no tether to
catch them. e senior girls who attended the overnight Girls of Grace Retreat spent time discovering the women they hope to become. e boys who went on the Men of Faith Retreat re ected on the type of men they want to become. Many faculty and sta members led these retreats. ey prayed seniors would have enriching experiences that deepen their faith and last a lifetime.