The European Youth Retreat is a weekend event that brings together an international assortment of students from the European Union Schools based in Brussels. This year, the 4th edition of the retreat took place in “La Foresta” retreat centre, a beautifully converted Franciscan Friary near Leuven. The group included 12 participants (aged 14-15yrs) and four student leaders (aged 16-17yrs), who were trained in order to be able to facilitate the retreat. Many nationalities were represented, including German, Polish, Spanish, Belgium (Flemish), Italian and French. Two Jesuits, Arndt Gysler SJ and Wojciech Werner SJ, and one teacher, Petra Jochheim, accompanied the students through their retreat.

The retreat was an intense spiritual experience for all involved. The students were led through challenging spiritual exercises, which aimed to help deepen their self-awareness, especially elucidating their desires and fears. The climax of the retreat was a reconciliation Mass. The students were invited to write a letter to God in which they shared with Her their sense of sin and guilt. The letters were presented at the Mass, before being burned outside the Chapel.

The challenge of separation at the end of the retreat demonstrated the depth of relationship that had been cultivated during our time together. It was clear that God had been very present to all the participants, who received the special grace of being able to open their hearts to Her love.

The retreat has sparked a new initiative of groups of students meeting on a monthly basis within the schools to continue their journey of deepening self-awareness and fostering their relationships with each other and God.