The Saints We’re Becoming: Sixth Form Retreat Challenges Students to Rise to the Occasion

It is a tradition at Canterbury that, just as the school year starts, Sixth Form and Postgraduate students come together to discuss how they want it to end. On September 14, the School’s most senior students gathered for their final Form retreat— a meaningful discussion about the example they wish to set for their younger peers and the legacy they want to leave on the hilltop.

Head of School Caroline Blatti offered welcoming remarks to the Class of 2027 before everyone enjoyed a special dinner together. Following the meal, the entire faculty lined up to offer handshakes, hugs, and words of encouragement for a good year. As dessert was served, Josh Leeuw, Director of the D’Amour Center for Faith, Service & Justice, began the retreat portion of the evening.

“Spiritual retreats like this are a time to reset, regroup, and look at our lives from a different angle,” he said. “It’s a chance to slow down enough to ask some of the bigger questions: What kind of person am I called to be, what do I owe to the people around me, and where do I see God, meaning, purpose in all of that?”

He then invited Sacristan Francis “Franny” Foley ’27 to share thoughts that helped to set the tone for a reflective evening and mindful year.

“If there's one thing I ask of you all this year, it's simple: act like a leader,” said Franny. “Whether we realize it or not, our younger peers are going to be looking to us as leaders, from the way we act in the dining hall and talk to our teachers to whether we do the right thing when nobody is watching. Let’s show them that leadership is not being above someone else; it’s about serving. Let’s not measure this year by what we’ve accomplished, but by the people we uplift, the lives we touch, and the community we leave behind. “

Students broke into discussion groups, led by faculty members and Sacristans to discuss questions of legacy, leadership, and what it means to be a Saint. The activity concluded with students writing themselves letters, which they will read shortly before Commencement.

“We talk about being Canterbury Saints, but the Catholic tradition has a much bigger understanding of what a saint is,” said Mr. Leeuw. “A saint isn’t someone who lived a flawless life. They made mistakes, struggled, and had doubts. What they shared was a willingness to keep asking what was good, loving other people, and using their lives for something larger than themselves. I think that’s a pretty good challenge for the Class of 2027.”

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