Fifth and sixth graders from four of our Catholic schools took a step out of the classroom and into the great Michigan outdoors, enjoying an unforgettable three-day retreat at Our Lady of the Fields Catholic Camp and Retreat Center in Brighton.

The retreat gave students from All Saints Catholic, Auburn Area Catholic, St. Joseph the Worker and St. Mary’s Schools the opportunity to meet new friends, foster community and grow in faith and teamwork.  

From Sept. 16 to 18, students and chaperones enjoyed ropes courses, team-building activities, swimming, kayaking and other outdoor activities, as well as celebrating Mass together and praying in Eucharistic Adoration. Students also had the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (confession).  

“It was fun! We did a lot of cool things,” said Jaxon B. of All Saints Catholic in Bay City. “Mass was nice, [and] we were able to do adoration. ... The highlight of the trip was that everyone had a lot of fun, and it was nice to meet new people.” 

Students at Auburn Area Catholic School agreed that it was a great opportunity to get together with other schools— and they all enjoyed the beach on the unseasonably warm days! 

“I had a lot of fun. I really liked meeting new people and getting to play with them,” said Natalie S. of Auburn Area Catholic School. The camp had a lot of good religious things like Mass and Adoration, and Melissa [one of the camp counselors] shared her personal story. My favorite thing was the beach and all of the things to climb on.” 

Natalie also shared that during a period of praise and worship during Eucharistic Adoration, she felt particularly inspired to pray more and practice kindness with her siblings. 

Tammy Nelson, Auburn’s fifth grade teacher, reflected on the experience with her class. Many students were positively impacted by others, such as one student who said watching her classmate on the high wire gave her the courage to try.  

“A couple of the boys mentioned that the most inspiring thing was [camp counselor] Melissa’s personal story about how she almost died, but she trusted God to put her where she needed to be,” she said.

Taylor Stressman, fifth grade teacher at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic School in Beal City, was grateful for this experience.  

“Our fifth and sixth grade camp experience this fall was truly life-changing for me as a teacher,” she said. “I had so much fun watching my students make new friends from other Catholic schools in our diocese and draw closer to Jesus. My favorite thing about Our Lady of the Fields is that the staff put discovering his presence at the center of our camp experience. In return, I was able to watch my students discover more deeply who God is calling them to be!”