This past Saturday ILS juniors and seniors attended D.E.C., the Day Everyone Connects, which is a retreat joined with St. John Newman (SJN) which aims to place participants in the presence of God and reconnect faith with Him. ILS’s amazing Campus Ministry staff joined 20 juniors and seniors in Naples, Fl at SJN’s campus to spend a day connecting with our fellow Salesians. It was a day of reflection, prayer, and play! Just as Don Bosco’s oratory indicates–play, church, home, and education. These retreats really strengthen the pillars of faith as a school, and within us.

In my recent interview with junior, Ines Unda, she really explained how D.E.C. helped her.

“I loved that we could meet new people and open up to them which really helped my outlook on a lot,” she stated.

“I really liked how the retreat is set up and how everyone is bonded by the end,” she added.

Ines has recently been going on ILS retreats and has loved every second.

“They really bring people together especially in the presence of God.”

She feels at peace knowing that she is not alone and she can be comforted by her faith.

Many people have really been changed by retreats like D.E.C., including me!

I have really enjoyed being able to celebrate my faith with so many wonderful people. ILS has never stopped being a gateway to gaining more hope and faith in my relationship with God.

Juniors, Roy Justiniani, Gabby Costa, and Isa Costa also attended D.E.C., and all agreed that the experience was better because they didn’t have their phones.

“It really felt like you could disconnect from everyone else and it pushed us to talk to more people there,”  said Roy.

Though he nervousness kicks in when you are forced to spend a day with people you never met before, but it makes you become more open to new things.