Over the weekend of February 10th, roughly two dozen members of the class of 2026 traveled to the Rolling Ridge Center in North Andover, MA for BC’s annual Ignite retreat for freshmen. Upon arrival, the group settled in over dinner and then enjoyed an evening of icebreaking activities, special witnesses, retreat rituals, and discussions.
On Saturday after breakfast, the students prayed Morning Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours. Then, upperclassmen leaders gave personal testimonies about the different ways they have encountered the Lord, such as through personal struggles, social justice, and finding God’s grace in their faith journeys, with each talk centering around a cardinal virtue: prudence, justice, temperance, or courage.
The students later separated into small groups of three-to-five people each and shared more intimate conversations reflecting on their lives of faith both on and off campus.
During their free time, the students got to relax, chat, and get to know each other better while playing Bananagrams, singing, dancing, and eating meals.
Students also participated in Ignatian contemplative prayer, such as the Examen, as well as getting the chance to pray individually.
“My favorite part of the retreat,” said Jack Dillihunt, CSOM ‘26, “was getting to spend time praying in nature with two of my good friends; we went down to the lake which was just down the hill from the main house and we got to sit in silence peacefully contemplating the Lord’s goodness.”
When asked if he would recommend Ignite to a friend, particularly a freshman, Jack replied: “Absolutely, because you get to meet people who similarly want to grow closer to God in holiness.”
Regarding the retreat’s influence on participants’ spiritual life, Christopher Tomeo, MCAS ‘26, said that “Ignite gave me a greater sense of interior peace that made me know I was loved by God, a peace that hasn’t left me till this day,” said Christopher Tomeo, MCAS ‘26, regarding the retreat’s influence on participants’ spiritual lives. “I’m especially grateful to our wise upperclassmen who counseled the freshmen well.”
He was glad he went on the trip since he, “got to know many freshmen who I wouldn’t otherwise have met. I gained a greater knowledge during the trip, and I appreciated the fact that Ignite provided great access to the Sacraments, in particular Confession, and Sunday’s Mass.”
One of the leaders heading Ignite this year, Jackson Claflin, MCAS ‘25, spoke to the Torch about his decision to lead as well as the purpose of such a freshmen-oriented retreat.
“A lot of the retreat leaders had been on the retreat as freshmen, and we found many of our best friends there,” Claflin said. “We wanted to pass on that experience to freshmen, who are often struggling to find authentic friendship. A retreat like Ignite is a rare place where freshmen intentionally come together to grow closer to God, and that common mission is a great foundation for friendship. By leaving behind our daily worries and obligations on campus for a weekend, we were all able to focus entirely on faith and fellowship, and it was a beautiful experience.”
“I wish that we would have spent more time outside enjoying the beauty of God’s natural creation,” Dillihunt added. “I really enjoyed how we prayed the Liturgy of the Hours together, and I would like to see more of that type of prayer in the future.”
If any changes were to be made by Chris, he “would have loved some more unstructured time during the day.” He said that “although the many activities were wonderful, it was a bit overwhelming at times.”
Improvements such as these could help to make the experience even more engaging and fulfilling for the next round of freshmen retreat-goers.
After another successful retreat, this Boston College tradition is sure to ignite faith in the hearts of many students for years to come.
Liana Winans is a lifelong Bostonian studying Biology as a freshman in MCAS. While not working on Torch articles or practicing pro-life apologetics, she will often be found playing basketball in the Rec, reading at the Res, playing piano, or watching old action movies. Her go-to prayer is the Divine Mercy Chaplet.
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