Shining the light in Sandbridge

Top Row (left to right): Jeidy Luperon, Daniel Matthews, Hansel D’Souza, Matthew Belmonte, Noelle Larino, Samantha Healy Bottom Row: Denise Gallant, Nicole Ferree, Margarita Hernandez, Kathy Martin, Abbie Wolf, Erin Munsterman

By: Noelle Larino. Photo: Ashton Mallon, Mary Sayegh

While most people were bidding farewell to the last days of summer, a group of  Marymount students took full advantage of the last sun soaked moments on the beach in Sandbridge, Virginia before the leaves started to fall. These group of students were participants of the annual weekend, “Beach Retreat,” hosted by Marymount’s Campus Ministry.

During the weekend of September 15th-17th, 50 students lodged in beach houses for a weekend of prayer, spiritual discovery and renewal, and of course, beachside fun. While many students were inclined to come to strengthen their faith lives, others came simply to meet new people.

One first time attendant of Beach Retreat, freshman Anika Dey, heard about the retreat through Campus Ministry announcements.

“I wanted to use [the] retreat as an opportunity to meet new people that would encourage me to focus on God in my life and help me make positive decisions as a Christian,” Dey said.

The theme of this year’s Beach Retreat was based on The Gospel of Matthew 5:13-16: “You are the salt of the earth, the light of the world.” The retreat consisted of student led talks based upon the theme, as well as faith sharing testimonies. In addition, students competed in a sandcastle building contest, demonstrating the important concepts of the theme through their sand structures.

Students also had the opportunity to participate in, or even witness for the first time, the practices of the Catholic faith through mass and adoration praise and worship. One of the favored activities among students was dividing into small groups to discuss the overall theme of the weekend and how faith has been incorporated into their own lives.

Sophomore nursing student Mary Sayegh described her meetings as a rewarding experience.

“We had very intellectual conversations about our spirituality, it was very comforting to open up to a group of people, for the most part I had never met before, and not be judged but rather bond over having the same spiritual revelations,” Sayegh said.

These small groups, which were led by student leaders, provided participants with a comfortable atmosphere to discuss both the joys and struggles of living, or even discovering means to live a faithful life. Over the course of the entire weekend, students limited common distractions of college life in exchange for personal growth and strengthening relationships among peers.

Early morning sunrise Sandbridge, VA.

Returning to campus, many students came back with a renewed faith and  redefined purpose in their lives.

“I took away a better understanding of my faith,” Sayegh said.

To Dey, the quote from The Gospel of Matthew held a different meaning to her.

“[It means] shining Christ’s light not just in church but after church through my positive attitude and actions of love and compassion to others,” Dey said.

Overall, this  retreat was an opportunity for students to not only renew or strengthen their faith, but to also discover their own light that can be emitted among others on campus and abroad, even in the darkest places.