On Thursday October 11, forty Padua girls left for the biannual Encounter Retreat.   The retreat occurs in the fall and spring of each year and is open to both juniors and seniors.  Students left Thursday night, after eating dinner together at Padua.  They returned around 1 p.m. on Sunday.   The fall retreat enjoyed beautiful weather.  Students spent much of their free time outside this weekend.

The retreat offers an opportunity to escape the stress of their daily lives for a weekend.  It is a chance to get closer to your Padua sisters and grow in your faith. The retreat is also an opportunity to get to know new people and make new friends.  Encounter is a chance to spend time with girls at Padua you might not cross paths with on a regular basis at school. The retreat is coordinated by Mrs. Vavala and led by a group of seniors who have previous experience on the retreat. These eleven seniors had enjoyed their first Encounter experience so much that they decided to come back. This group, called the “team”, helps Mrs. Vavala with the planning and coordination of the retreat. One Encounter team leader, Kristen Holowka (’13) said, “I enjoyed coming back a second time to help my classmates have the same positive experience I had. Its fun to see the girls getting closer and being able to let go of all the stress.”  All girls, both team and encounterites had a great weekend!