Faith, Resilience, and Brotherhood in Wyoming

With only the survival bags on their backs and each other for support, six Jesuit Tigers and two chaperones left the summertime comforts behind earlier this month for a rugged, week-long spiritual journey through the Wind River Range of the Rocky Mountains.

The Wyoming Wilderness and Leadership Retreat has been a part of the Jesuit High School summer missions landscape on several occasions in recent years, always in conjunction with COR Expeditions, an outreach wilderness ministry of Wyoming Catholic College that uses outdoor adventure to foster spiritual renewal and personal growth.

Students Troy Carter ’28, Witt Graff ’28, Garrett Graham ’28, Will Higgins ’28, Sammy Maglio ’29, and Max Miller ’28, led by COR Expeditions and Jesuit chaperones Joe Madigan and Fr. Michael Wegenka, S.J., embarked earlier this month to western Wyoming’s rigorous and isolated Wind River Range along the Continental Divide.  

Flying into Denver and driving to Lander, Wyo., the group was first trained in preparation for their wilderness trek. They learned all sorts of essential outdoor skills, including rock climbing, tent setup, and campfire cooking.

Then it began. The Jesuit group hiked more than 25 arduous miles over the six-day journey, backpacking and camping throughout the mountain range. Each day started with morning Mass and included time for silent prayer and faith-based discussions centered on themes such as beauty, community, and identity. The daily conditions challenged students physically and mentally while also providing opportunities for spiritual growth and a deeper bond of brotherhood. Maglio said he used prayer to power through adversity and overcome the demands of the journey.

“In times of struggle, I prayed to God,” Maglio said. “Whether it was for help getting to sleep or making it through the daily hikes. Thankfully God answered all my prayers, helping me throughout the way.”

Carter said the powers of brotherhood and prayer were his guiding forces.

“Without my brothers, this trip would never have been possible," Carter said. "I leaned on them and our guides every step of the way. It showed me that God does not call us to walk alone. He surrounds us with people who help, support, and encourage us along the journey."

Madigan, who is entering his third year this fall with Jesuit’s Office of Mission and Formation, noticed the growth of the students individually and collectively.

“The students were admirable, going all in from the start,” Madigan said. “They supported each other throughout the day, stepping up as leaders and persevering through every challenge and the exhaustion.”

While the difficulty seemed overwhelming at times, conquering each day in such a breathtaking environment was rewarding.

“The amazing beauty that we saw each day while we hiked, it really impacts you,” Carter said. “Knowing that all of this was meticulously placed by God, it really puts things into perspective.

“This retreat helped me see the world in a different way, seeing just how much beauty is in it, showing that God has a purpose and a plan for everything that he does, that he doesn’t make mistakes, and the mountains and valleys and rivers were all there because he made them that way.”

Madigan echoed the same feelings about the extraordinary experience.

“This trip strengthened my faith by showing me the beauty of God's created world and the power of pursuing the faith within a community,” Madigan said. “True adventure directs the soul to God. (It was) a wonderful adventure that creates true friendship, builds character, and culminates in the contemplation of God.”

See below photos from the 2026 Wilderness and Leadership Retreat in Wyoming.