“Search” is a weekend retreat experience of Christian community for high school students. Search is based on the first week of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. A key movement during the first week of the Exercises is for the retreatant experience God's unconditional, ever faithful love in the face of our personal and corporate brokenness. It can be a powerful, moving experience that many students describe as a high point of their years at Prep.

 

Students are not told in advance about the content or location of the retreat. The Campus Ministry office will be happy to discuss the activities and disclose the location of the retreat with parents and guardians by phone.  Please note: *If you have not received an email notification regarding your student's Search retreat by one month prior to their departure, please contact the Campus Ministry office immediately at [email protected]

 

 
In March 1963 at San Mateo, California the first high school students were given a deeper insight into the meaning of Christianity through the instrumentality of the Search retreat. Since then hundreds of high schools and colleges around the world have adopted the Search program.

 

Although the basic purpose and approach of the Search remains the same, many variations in techniques, format, follow-up, and structure have developed. Search has never been a static program but has continually demonstrated a fluid and flexible nature which has permitted the Holy Spirit to speak the Good News of Jesus Christ to teenagers in a relevant, meaningful and dynamic manner.

 

The first Search at Gonzaga Prep was held in the spring of 1976; the first year that Gonzaga Prep was co-ed in 1975-76. It was composed of both senior and junior Prep students.