Each 2-night, 3-day retreat at our beautiful, 471-acre campus is designed to give students at each grade level a unique, powerful, and joyful experience of the Catholic Church while inviting them to take the next step in their faith. While the content grows with the students, every retreat contains the core elements of high-adventure activities, missionary leadership, and Eucharistic encounter.
Explore retreat offerings by grade level below.
Grade Level: 6th grade
Students learn that they can come to know God through the exploration of the natural world in a program permeated by the message of the Gospel: Jesus Christ restores what was wounded by the Fall. They’ll also meet environmental education learning standards with hands-on lessons utilizing 471 acres of forest, fields and ponds.
Duration: Wednesday-Friday
Cost: $130/student
Sample Schedule: Faith & Science Sample Schedule
2023-24 Dates: See below for current availability & booking.
Grade Level: 7th grade
A series of cooperative initiatives challenges students to develop their strengths, overcome their weaknesses, and grow in virtue, compassion and communication. Above all, they will discover how following Jesus allows them to become the leader that God has made them to be.
Duration: Wednesday-Friday
Cost: $130/student
Sample Schedule: Leadership Retreat Sample Schedule
2023-24 Dates: See below for current availability & booking.
Grade Level: Confirmandi, typically 8th grade
Faith doesn’t just need to be learned, it needs to be lived. It’s more than a series of concepts out of a textbook; it’s a dynamic relationship with God that will continue to grow throughout a young person’s life. Damascus Confirmation retreats exist to introduce young people to an experiential understanding of the beauty of the Catholic Church and the adventure of a life lived in relationship with Jesus Christ.
Duration: Friday-Sunday
Cost: $130/student
Sample Schedule: Confirmation Sample Schedule
2023-24 Dates: See below for current availability & booking.
Grade Level: High School; ideal for underclassmen or as a first retreat experience
As they mature, young people wrestle more and more with the big questions of life: “What will make me happy? How will I live my life? Is God real? Does He care about me? Do I really believe what the Church teaches?” The Abundant Life retreat meets students at this critical point and takes a philosophical approach to help them explore those questions and invite them to discover for themselves the answer in Jesus: the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Throughout the retreat, students are introduced to the foundations of the Christian life: Identity, prayer, mission, and community. Meanwhile, a series of competitions challenges them to discover the joy and adventure of the Christian life while growing in community with their classmates.
Duration: Wednesday-Friday
Cost: $155/student
Sample Schedule: Abundant Life Sample Schedule
2023-24 Dates: See below for current availability & booking.
Grade Level: High School; ideal for upperclassmen or as a Kairos-style experience
This retreat brings students together in community for a renewal in their Christian walk. It offers opportunities to share testimonies of how God has worked in their lives and help invite their fellow students to deeper conversion. At the conclusion of the retreat, students are prepared to live out their faith back at school, at home, and into the next chapter of their lives.
Duration: Wednesday-Friday
Cost: $155/student
Sample Schedule: Made for More Retreat Sample Schedule
2023-24 Dates: See below for current availability & booking.
Who can come on a retreat?
Any school or parish can contract with Damascus for a retreat. The retreat group is required to provide at minimum one chaperone for the retreat.
Who runs the retreats?
Our retreats are staffed by approximately 60 young adult missionaries who are in a 2-year program of Christian formation. Missionaries serve in every role from small group leading and activity facilitation, to speaking and emceeing, to preparing meals in the kitchen and cleaning the campus. In addition to 3 weeks of specialized training for their responsibilities on retreat, all Damascus missionaries have completed safe environment training and have a clear background check. To learn more about the missionary program, visit damascus.net/mission.
Where do the retreats take place?
All retreats described on this page are facilitated at the Damascus campus in Centerburg, OH. Established in 2015, every detail of the campus was designed to help people discover the adventure of the Catholic faith. To explore the cabins, activities, and facilities in more detail, please visit our Ohio campus page.
How long are the retreats?
Each retreat is a 3-day, 2-night experience. School retreats take place Wednesday-Fridays, and Confirmation retreats take place on select Friday-Sundays throughout the year. In general, Faith and Science retreats are scheduled in the warmer months of the fall and spring, High School retreats in the winter, and Leadership retreats in the later fall and earlier spring. See below for the exact date offerings for each school year.