Discernment Retreat

Last weekend (Jan. 14-16) in Texas at Strake Jesuit's retreat center, four Jesuit High School students were among 29 from nine Jesuit high schools who participated in the Jesuits USA Central and Southern Province's 2nd annual High School Discernment Retreat.

Discernment is the process by which we discover God's will for us and our vocation. Discernment involves all the experiences of our lives — how God has called and formed us. Grant Jordan '23, Alex Ortmeier '23, Josh Newman '23, and Marvin Martirez '24 further discerned God's call during their time at this special retreat. 

Other schools with students participating at Strake's Retreat and Leadership Center in Leona, Texas, near Houston, included De Smet Jesuit High School in St. Louis, Jesuit College Prep in Dallas, and the host school, Strake.

Among the Jesuits serving at the retreat were three with connections to Jesuit High School in Tampa: Mr. Peter Bell, S.J., who is a math teacher and assistant director of campus ministry at Jesuit, and Jesuit alumni Mr. Justin Kelley, S.J. '14 (currently at St. Louis U. High) and Mr. Jeff Miraflor, S.J. '13 (Jesuit New Orleans).

Pictured L-R in the photo below are Bell, Jordan, Kelley, Ortmeier, Newman, Martirez, and Miraflor.