Br. Peter Lamick, CSV, and Br. Jhobany, CSV, regularly help out with retreats at Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep in suburban Waukegan, IL, and their involvement has not gone unnoticed. Last year, these two Viatorian brothers were named volunteers of the year at the high school, which now is in its 20th year.
It takes a team to balance this log.
Br. Peter and Br. Jhobany returned Friday to help with the opening retreat for the senior class.. Together with the senior class, Mr. Jim Dippold, Campus Minister; and chaperones, they traveled to Camp Duncan for the overnight retreat, which is located in Ingleside, IL, some 50 miles outside of Chicago.
With its 300 acres of woodlands, nature trails and lakeside setting, the camp offered seniors the chance to be immersed in nature while they experienced challenging exercises and team-building activities — think high and low rope courses, zip-lining and log rolling, for starters.
At night, the seniors found peace and serenity during a candlelight Taizé prayer service, before starting the next day with morning prayer. As a bonus, Br. Jhobany enhanced the service with his guitar, playing a song in English and one in Spanish, by a Mexican singer songwriter.
Taizé prayer
Br. Jhobany later heard from one of the seniors just how much his music had meant to her. She shared that she fondly remembered her Mexican grandmother singing that song to her when she was younger.
“It was good to have them with us,” Jim Dippold said afterwards of the involvement of Br. Peter and Br. Jhobany.
Viatorians have been an endorsing community of Cristo Rey St. Martin since its founding in 2014, serving on its faculty, administration and board of trustees.
“Viatorians continue to be an endorsing community of Cristo Rey St. Martin,” Br. Peter says, “and supporting the retreat program and spiritual development in students is one way we can be present.”