Student council members from all seven Catholic secondary schools in the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board headed to Camp Brébeuf where they worked together to determine what makes a good Catholic leader.
The annual overnight retreat is designed to nurture Catholic leadership potential, strengthen relationships with other student leaders, and build a support network for the coming year.
Throughout their stay, students participated in several team building activities, such as high ropes, designed to shape each council through trust and communication.
As is tradition, the retreat centers around a commissioning ceremony in the Pines Chapel, where students are called to promote peace as artisans of peace in their schools and communities.
"Peace is not something that you must hope for in the future. Rather, it is a deepening of the present, and unless you look for it in the present, you will never find it, said Chaplaincy Leader Kim Pastrak, Quoting Thomas Merton.
"So, all of you here today, leaders in your school, have the amazing opportunity to craft that very same peace and let it touch every corner of your school community," she added.
"Peace begins with you."
This call also reflects this year's Catholic Education Week Theme, "Becoming Artisans of Peace," which was taken from the scripture, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." (Matthew 5:9)
Building off this theme, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Education Officer David Hansen asked students how that might look in their school?
"It's a couple of things. As artisans of peace, you are finding ways that every kid in your building feels that they belong to your school."
The second is being a voice for every student at school, he added.
"So, thank you for putting your hand up to be leaders. Our world needs leaders. Our world needs leaders like you."
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