Retreats

Faith Formation

At Loyola Blakefield, retreats are a vital part of each student’s spiritual journey. Every year, students step away from their daily routines to pause, reflect, and encounter God in a deeper way. These retreats help them recognize God’s presence in their lives, strengthen bonds of brotherhood and community, and grow to live a life that glorifies God.

Retreats take place either on campus or at nearby retreat centers. Below, you’ll find an overview of the retreat opportunities offered at each grade level.

List of 7 items.

6th Grade Retreat

Date: October 22, 2026
Location: River Valley Ranch

The theme of 6th grade retreat is Friendship within a Faith Community, which takes a look at how Jesus’ relationships with his disciples demonstrates true friendship for us (John 11:1-44). Students will reflect on Christian friendship and how they can be better friends themselves with the help of God’s love and guidance in their lives (1 John 4:7-13).
7th Grade Retreat

Date: October 8, 2026
Location: Msgr. O'Dwyer Retreat House

The 7th grade retreat is centered around living your faith through words and deeds and invites students to reflect on how Jesus Christ can be a firm foundation for their lives (Luke 6:46-48). Students will discover what it means to truly live their lives for the greater glory of God through embodying their Christian values (Colossians 3:12-17).
8th Grade Retreat

Date: October 29, 2026
Location: River Valley Ranch

8th grade retreat helps students realize that the Holy Spirit is alive in all of us and learn how to identify it in their hearts (1 Corinthians 2: 12-13). The Eternal life of the Holy Spirit offers answers to many questions about what their future life could be. Students will examine the gifts of the Holy Spirit as a way to realize their ability to take their faith to the next level by serving others (1 Peter 4:10-11).
Freshman Retreat: IGNITE!

Date: November 5-6, 2026 (overnight)
Location: Loyola Blakefield

The IGNITE! Retreat is a one-of-a-kind overnight experience created by students, for students. Held each fall, this retreat invites freshmen to encounter God’s love in a personal way while building meaningful connections with their classmates. Through talks, activities, and community, students are also introduced to the heart of Jesuit education and what their journey may look like as Loyola Dons.
Sophomore Retreat

Date: April 21-23, 2027 (overnight)
Location: Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation

Sophomore students will spend time reflecting on the qualities of the Graduate at Graduation. Guided by both adult and student leaders, they will hear personal stories and insights about how these values are lived out. Through talks, small group sharing, and personal reflection, sophomores are invited to consider how they embody these principles in their own lives and how they can continue to grow in them.
Kairos (for Junior & Seniors)
Dates:
- Kairos 154 (seniors only): October 13 – 16, 2026
- Kairos 155 (seniors only): December 1 – 4, 2026
- Kairos 156 (seniors only): January 19 – 22, 2027
- Kairos 157: February 23 – 26, 2027
- Kairos 158: April 13 – 16, 2027
Location: Refreshing Mountain Retreat Center

Kairos – meaning “the Lord’s time” – is one of Loyola’s most transformative retreat experiences. It creates space to step away from the busyness of daily life and discover God’s love in a personal and powerful way.
Over four days, students journey through themes that invite deep reflection and connection:
- Who am I?
- Where is God in my life?
- What is God’s message for me?
- Putting the message into action.
Talks, small group sharing, prayer, and community-building activities make Kairos a true encounter with faith, brotherhood, and self-discovery. Faculty and staff accompany the retreat as mentors, supporting a student leadership team made up of peers who have previously experienced Kairos.

Kairos has become a hallmark of the Loyola Blakefield experience—over 2,000 Dons have participated. Ask any of them, and they’ll tell you: Kairos changes everything.
Neighbors Retreat
Date: September 30 - October 2, 2026
Location: Sandy Cove Ministries

“When we act neighborly, we will realize we have neighbors all around us…”
-Rev. Dr. Alvin C. Hathaway, Sr.

When standing in the shadow of racial injustice, what does it mean to be a neighbor? Who are we as neighbors, who are our neighbors, what does our neighborhood look like regionally and worldwide. The fourth Neighbors Retreat, sponsored by Loyola Blakefield’s Office of Diversity, will create a space for students to explore spiritually and socially how we can respond as a people of faith to racial injustice in all its forms.

Our goal is two-fold:
- To provide a space for conversation and understanding.
- To empower students to discern how they can bring what they’ve learned on the retreat back to our school.