By Joe Nolan ’20

          In his Epistle to the Philippians, St. Paul wrote, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others,” (Philippians 2:3-4). This verse encapsulates the moral code by which we Catholics are encouraged to live; we should be going out of ourselves in order to better the lives of others, regardless of how easily we may forget to take into account the well-being of our neighbors.  Members of C.R.O.S.S. epitomize this maxim.

Through monitoring overnight retreats at Meribah, facilitating homeroom retreats at Saragossa, and hosting divisional nights of recollection, the dozens of members of C.R.O.S.S. dedicate endless amounts of time to ensure the well-being of others. On Friday, December 7th, the eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, moderators of C.R.O.S.S. hosted a retreat called RECHARGE for C.R.O.S.S. members as a thank you for all of the time and hard work that they put into the club.

To kick off the evening, attendees of RECHARGE celebrated Mass commemorating the Virgin Mary and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Afterwards, the group indulged in a Mexican feast. The highlight of the night, however, came when Paul J. Kim, one of the most sought-after Catholic speakers in the country, gave a speech about the role of faith in our lives.

Mr. Kim explained that we all, at some point, will encounter struggles with our faith; it’s inevitable. When we do come face-to-face with these adversities, however, we are able to overcome them; whether by petitioning God in prayer, actively seeking the help of a member of the clergy, or, simply, turning to other fellow Catholics in school.   Options are always available to help alleviate our struggles with the faith.

Mr. Kim also went on to talk about how we cannot let these issues go unnoticed; it is imperative that we address them directly, since our faith is a key component of our identities as Catholics. If we ignore or suppress our issues with the faith, then our relationship with God will only diminish. By our maintaining a strong faith and praying often, God can help all things.

As per every Chaminade retreat, RECHARGE ended with a Holy Hour, a brief prayer service including the Adoration of the Eucharistic Presence of Our Lord.

The members of C.R.O.S.S. were extremely appreciative of the moderators’ providing the students with an opportunity to sit back, relax, and participate in a retreat.

“I applied to C.R.O.S.S. because I really wanted to delve deeper into my faith and be more involved in the faith activities around the campus,” explained Aidan Cappellino ’20. “It was really refreshing to enjoy a night on retreat and reflect more on my faith. Leading retreats is fun, but it’s a nice feeling to be able to sit down and get to listen to a speaker and enjoy being a participant in the retreat.”

Other volunteers, such as Brady Baylis ’19, felt the same way.  “It was a treat from our moderators to have Paul J. Kim come to Chaminade and enjoy the Mexican feast,” said Baylis. “When you run retreats, it is hard to get much spiritual fulfillment when you’re busy. However, attending RECHARGE was a nice way to start the Advent season by enjoying a great night.”

RECHARGE was a great opportunity for C.R.O.S.S. members to take a step back from reality and relish what they have given to so many people: the opportunity to take part in and enjoy religious retreats at Chaminade High School.