In 2018, Lumen Christi College introduced a Retreat program for all students. 

A Retreat is a time to pause from the demands of every day school life and take time to reflect and refocus our spirituality. As a Catholic College, we aim to nurture and develop all our students academically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. The Emmaus Retreat aims to challenge students to learn from one another, find the role Jesus plays in their life, appreciate their talents, and take some time for quiet prayer and reflection.

The Emmaus Retreats are centered on the story of the disciples travelling to Emmaus in Luke’s Gospel.

The story tells of two disciples, discouraged after the crucifixion of Jesus, leaving Jerusalem by the road leading to Emmaus, when a stranger draws near and inquires about what they were discussing. The stranger, of course, is Jesus, but “their eyes were prevented from recognising him”, an indication that God is acting behind the scenes for a greater purpose. They recount the incredible tale of the resurrection story they had received from the women who had gone to the tomb of Jesus and found it empty.

The stranger then remarks on their lack of comprehension and proceeds to interpret “all the Scriptures” for them, explaining the necessity of the Messiah’s suffering. Then they invite the stranger to stay with them for the night and, while at the table sharing a meal – and breaking bread, they recognise the stranger’s identity, and he vanishes from their sight. They had not realised that the man they had been speaking to was Jesus. They return to Jerusalem with the incredible tale of how they had come to know Jesus “in the breaking of the bread”.

We hope that during the Emmaus Retreat our students will also realise that some times what is right near you is often the least obvious, i.e. the people who support and love us, our friends, family and Jesus. Sometimes we need to stop, reflect and notice the small things, which are the large things in life.

The Emmaus Retreat has been structured to enable the students to learn and extend their Retreat experience as they travel through the years at the College. All year groups will participate in the Retreats a little differently.

No matter what the activity, our purpose is to help our students find their purpose. Throughout their time at the College, students will journey through all the Retreats helping them become resilient young men and women equipped to stand confident in their faith choice and understanding the role of Jesus in their life.