Notre dame lgbtq retreat
“I learned that as thick as a wound is, that’s how deep the healing can be.”
Mary Karr, 2015 Syracuse University Commencement Address
I recently had the privilege to talk with students on the Notre Dame LGBTQ retreat, and it gave me an opportunity to show on my own hour as a gay pupil in college. When I return to campus, I can often see other graduates basking in a shimmer around the edges, the Catholic glamour of the Basilica, the warmth of the grotto, and the roar of the Stadium. Friends fondly recall late nights in LaFortune and flood their former dorms with nostalgia. For many, Notre Dame is and was a desire come true.
I wish I could see it. I want to be just a normal college graduate, who looks back on those days and wishes to relive them. But I can’t. And I’m don’t.
I recently spoke with a fellow alumnus. He said he felt lost for a time about what Notre Dame meant to him. Like me, he was supposed to be one version of the model graduate, a well-rounded student who went on to an stimulating career. But as he came to better get himself after graduation, he discovered something buried that surprised him. Within himself, he said, he bore a confu
To That Lovely Lady
“To a great extent the level of any civilization is the level of its womanhood. … The higher her virtue, the more noble her nature, the more loyal she is to truth, justice, goodness.” – Fulton Sheen
What do you first think of when you hear the words, “Notre Dame?” Most Americans probably envision scenes of football—gold helmets, Rudy, and the greatest fight song of all time. But how many believe of Our Lady, the true interpretation of “Notre Dame”?
Though images of Mary are not lacking on campus—our golden dome bears a 16-foot statue of her—that abundance does not conceal the sad truth: Notre Dame has abandoned her namesake, and with it, her female students in particular.
As a Catholic university named after the Mother of God, Notre Dame holds a distinct obligation to her female students, one that it struggles to fulfill. In an age ruled by resentment between the sexes, harsh arguments about “reproductive rights,” and rampant confusion in youth who believe gender is a selection, female students at universities are often given the incorrect resources to include their femininity and womanhood. Unfortunately, Notre Dame is no exception.
In recent years, pro
LGBT activist leads retreat at Notre Dame de Namur
From February 18 – 21, 2014 Notre Dame de Namur High School in Belmont, California presented a student retreat, Personal Progress as a Blessing to Others. The event was described on the school’s webpage: “Come join us on a four-day retreat to learn new ways to discover who you are and how expressing yourself fully can be a blessing to others! Improve your self image and get in feel with who you are through journaling, meditations, world walks, art projects and more.” Notre Dame’s webpage for the retreat continued “Surprise guest facilitator for one day – Gregg Cassin!!!” Gregg Cassin, who lives in San Francisco, is a widely famous homosexualist activist. His extensive website includes this self-description: “He is an LGBT rights activist helping to organize and emcee anti-Prop 8 rallies since 2008.”
Two members of the Notre Dame Faculty were listed as instructors for the retreat, one of whom was a Ms. Sequeira. Notre Dame’s religious studies webpage identifies Barbara Sequeira as the school’s campus minister.
Mr. Cassin’s website contains a section of photographs of events in which he has taken part. The section is hea
Retreats & Spirituality
Mission and Ministry bids retreat opportunities for campus groups throughout the year including retreats for Emmanuel College athletic teams, student organizations, faculty and staff groups. Here is a list of our current offerings:
1. Each fall semester, first-year and transfer students are invited to spend a weekend on Cape Cod participating in Take48, a 48- hour retreat away from campus in which we reflect on three questions relating to the transition to college, existence a new member of the Emmanuel College community, and building new friendships.
2. Mission and Ministry supports Emmanuel’s LGBTQIA+ community by co-sponsoring Reaching OUT, an off-campus weekend retreat helping students expand community rooted in love for self, as well as awareness of God’s deep love for each of us.
3. An outdoor retreat encouraging students to get off campus and into innateness, the Wilderness Walk retreat is held in the plummet semester. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors are invited to consume a day hiking in the mountains of New Hampshire followed by an evening of reflection.
4. Faculty & Staff Retreat is a yearly retreat held in January prior to the begi
LGBTQ Retreats
Each year, Campus Ministry, in collaboration with the Gender Relations Center (GRC), hosts a retreat for LGBTQ students and Allies who identify as people of faith. We take period to reflect on our spiritual lives and our relationship with God, ourselves, and others. Coming from the Catholic tradition, we explore what it means to be beloved children of God and members of a global family. As members of that global family we hold time to look to Jesus as an example of how to be in deeper solidarity with those on the margins.
This retreat is open to all those seeking to integrate their spirituality with their LGBTQ Identity and their allies.
LGBTQ Winter Retreat 2025: Nourish!
Join us for our annual winter retreat: Nourish! We will amass together as a group to nourish our relationships with God, one another, and ourselves. It’s a great way to re-center and start the spring semester!
When is the retreat?
The weekend of February 7-9, 2025. We will leave at 5:00 p.m. on Friday and restore by 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Who can attend?
This retreat is open to all Notre Dame, Divine Cross College, or Saint Mary's LGBTQ students, and allies.
Registration:
The