{"id":2349,"date":"2015-09-25T09:24:00","date_gmt":"2015-09-25T09:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/developmenttwo.marymount.edu\/blog\/marymount-campus-ministry-leads-beach-retreat\/"},"modified":"2015-09-25T09:24:00","modified_gmt":"2015-09-25T09:24:00","slug":"marymount-campus-ministry-leads-beach-retreat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/blog\/marymount-campus-ministry-leads-beach-retreat\/","title":{"rendered":"Marymount Campus Ministry Leads Beach Retreat"},"content":{"rendered":"
Knowing she\u0092s not alone in her faith is important and powerful to Erin Williams, a junior at Marymount University.<\/p>\n
That message was reinforced this past weekend (Sept. 18-20), as Williams and 44 other Marymount University students and 10 staffers went on a spiritual retreat to Sandbridge Beach. The junior from Lorton gave the first student talk Friday night, which set the tone for the beach retreat, a longstanding Marymount tradition.<\/p>\n
\u0093I spoke about how storms arise in our lives and how to face them head on with God by your side,\u0094 she said.<\/p>\n
Ashton Mallon, assistant director of the school\u0092s Campus Ministry, said the retreat was a nice way to start the academic year, with a weekend of fun, prayer and talks by fellow students.<\/p>\n
\u0093Getting away from campus enables them to have quiet time and for small groups to share their experiences,\u0094 Mallon said. \u0093It\u0092s also a good time to make new friends with the same values.\u0094<\/p>\n
Mallon said this helps students live their faith more when they return to campus.<\/p>\n
Williams agreed.<\/p>\n
\u0093It was fantastic and unbelievably enriching,\u0094 said Williams, who was on her second beach retreat. \u0093We also had beautiful weather. Last year was rainy and cloudy.\u0094<\/p>\n
Williams said she is in a much different place in her life than a year ago and was happy to share that.<\/p>\n
\u0093I\u0092m more comfortable with who I am and where I want to be, especially with my faith,\u0094 she said. \u0093I feel more like myself.\u0094<\/p>\n
Williams, who majors in elementary education, praised the university for aiding her spiritual journey.<\/p>\n
\u0093Marymount has helped me grow deeper in my faith,\u0094 Williams said. \u0093Every year I\u0092ve grown closer to God.\u0094<\/p>\n
\nPhoto captions:<\/strong><\/p>\n Photo 1 Photo 2 Photo 3 Knowing she\u0092s not alone in her faith is important and powerful to Erin Williams, a junior at Marymount University. That message was reinforced this past weekend (Sept. 18-20), as Williams and 44 other Marymount University students and 10 staffers went on a spiritual retreat to Sandbridge Beach. The junior from Lorton gave the first student […]<\/p>\n
\nAbout 45 Marymount University students went on the annual beach retreat to Sandbridge Beach organized by Campus Ministry from Sept. 18 to 20.<\/p>\n
\nFather Jack Peterson, assistant chaplain at Marymount University, talks with students during Campus Ministry\u0092s annual beach retreat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nA pair of students watch the sunset at Sandridge Beach during a recent retreat organized by Campus Ministry at Marymount University.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"