RETREATS

At Scotus Central Catholic, retreats are an extracurricular experience offered to help our students know, love, and serve God, and to grow in relationship with their peers. Retreats provide a unique opportunity for students to step back from their busy lives, rest, pray, grow in community, and encounter Jesus Christ. They proclaim the message of the Gospel and remind our students what they are made for. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

The current structure of our retreats is as follows:

• 7th, 8th, 9th, and 12th grade students have a class retreat.
• 10th and 11th grade students select a retreat they’d like to attend from options that are approved by our Campus Ministry department. These opportunities may also be opened to freshmen and seniors if numbers allow.

Class Retreats 

7th Grade Retreat –

The seventh grade retreat is designed to help orient the new seventh graders as they start their journey as a class together at Scotus. It offers the opportunity for building relationships among classmates, spending time with God, and connecting with/hearing from upperclassmen leaders that help with the day. The retreat is designed to focus on fellowship, faith, and fun! Seventh graders also participate in our junior high service day to live out Jesus’ call to love our neighbor and serve “the least of these” in our local community.

8th Grade Retreat-

Eighth graders participate in our junior high service day to live out Jesus’ call to love our neighbor and serve “the least of these” in our local community. They also attend a retreat following their Confirmation to help build on the graces they receive from the Sacrament, and equip them to live out their call of discipleship. 

Freshmen Retreat-

The freshmen retreat is an opportunity for students to encounter Jesus through prayer, Sacraments, talks and small group discussions, the beauty of nature, and fellowship with their classmates. The overall theme of this retreat is discovering and living out our identity in Christ.

Senior Retreat –

The senior retreat is held within the first few weeks of school and allows the class to spend an intentional day together as they begin a year of many “lasts.” The day begins with Mass outside, followed by activities that help them reflect on their time at Scotus and how they desire to live moving forward. Students are given the afternoon to enjoy God’s creation and each other’s company doing outdoor recreation.

Retreat Options for Sophomores and Juniors

All sophomores and juniors must attend one retreat offered during the school year as part of fulfilling their Religion class requirements. Sophomores and Juniors are given a choice of retreat.  Please review the following retreats and choose at least one to attend.  To sign up for a retreat, fill out the Google registration form that corresponds with the retreat you’d like to attend. If you choose a retreat offered through the Archdiocese or the March for Life, you will need to complete additional registration forms provided at a later date. 

Note: Some retreats may have a max capacity and they are first come, first serve. If your first choice of retreat has already reached max capacity, you will be placed on a different one. We will do our best to prioritize your preferences.  

Service Retreat – October, 23, 2024

Registration Link: https://forms.gle/xHhvyhaw41DwWz4p6 

• This retreat is designed to help students encounter Jesus through prayer and service to the poor. “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” It includes Mass, prayer time, and service to various organizations in the Omaha area. Students will get to submit their preferences on where they’d like to serve. We will start the day all together at Hope of the Poor, small groups will then head out to their assigned locations (with adults), and we will gather together again at the end for prayer and reflection. 
• Location: Omaha

Quest Retreat – November, 15, 2024

• There will be a Quest Retreat Saturday and Sunday, November 23-24, at the Tintern Retreat Center near Oakdale, Nebraska. Cost is $50.  Applications are due November 15th.  This Quest is open to high school Freshmen and Sophomores. Please complete the following forms below:
  –Application
  –Parental Consent
  –Code of Behavior
  –Medical Matters form

Women’s Retreat – November 13, 2024 (Girls only) 

Registration Link: https://forms.gle/pNRmCYVkJpbuLWaz8

• This retreat will be led by a group of faithful women and will focus on growing in wholeness, faith, and virtue with a day full of talks, discussion, prayer, Sacrament opportunities, and games. 
• Location: St. Benedict Center, Schuyler

Men’s Retreat – April 23, 2025

Registration Link: https://forms.gle/JNdfvYeA47eXAPyt7 

• This retreat will be led by a group of faithful men and will focus on growing in brotherhood, faith, and virtue with a day full of challenges, talks, prayer, Sacrament opportunities, and games. 
• Location: TBD 

National March for Life – January 21-26, 2025

Registration Link: https://forms.gle/WP6G6ZsLKUDDcL6D6 

• The March for Life is an inspiring, peaceful, vibrant, and joy-filled rally of women, men, young people, and children from all across the country. Every year, tens of thousands of pro-lifers converge on the National Mall and march on Capitol Hill on the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling which legalized abortion in all 50 states. It is a gathering to celebrate each and every life, from the moment of conception, and to unite with others to envision a world where every life is celebrated, valued, and protected. On this pilgrimage, students ride a bus to Washington D.C. and get the opportunity to visit beautiful churches, stop at tourist sites, spend time in prayer and Sacraments, and grow in friendship with their peers. 
• Note:  Students will be involved in raising funds to help pay for the trip. Cost: $400 – $600 depending on numbers and fundraising 
• Location: Washington D.C.

Lenten Retreat– March 19, 2025

Registration Link: https://forms.gle/vwVvZ3EHGQzVMC5v5 

• This retreat is designed to help students enter into Lent prayerfully and intentionally. We will visit the Cloisters on the Platte life-size Stations of the Cross, and have time throughout the day for prayer and silence. The day will also include faith related talks and small group discussions and activities. This retreat is recommended for students who already have a prayer life and desire to go deeper in their relationship with Jesus. 
• Location: Gretna

TEC – March 29-31, 2025  (Saturday to Monday)

Registration Link: https://forms.gle/ta2hALWLTZgbX5xD9 

Information: https://archomaha.org/youth-ministry/tec/ 

• Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) is a three-day retreat for grades 10-12. TEC draws participants into the heart of the Catholic faith: Christ’s Paschal Mystery (His passion, death, and resurrection) lived out in the Church. The weekend helps youth relate this mystery to the concrete realities of their lives and challenges them to make a deeper commitment to Christ.  This retreat is offered through the Archdiocese and led by young adult volunteers.
• Location: Glad Tidings Retreat Center, Bloomfield

QUEST – November 22-24,2024

Registration Link: https://forms.gle/oj97vMJFYb13GPVR7 

• Quest is woven around the Three Circles of Love: love of self, love of others, and love of God. It is designed to aid maturing 14-16 year old Christians in an exciting mix of fun and faith. This retreat is offered through the Archdiocese and led by young adult volunteers.
• Location: Tintern Retreat Center

QUEST – March 28-30, 2025

Registration Link: https://forms.gle/oj97vMJFYb13GPVR7 

• Quest is woven around the Three Circles of Love: love of self, love of others, and love of God. It is designed to aid maturing 14-16 year old Christians in an exciting mix of fun and faith. This retreat is offered through the Archdiocese and led by young adult volunteers.
• Location: Tintern Retreat Center