In the midst of Holy Week, twenty women from Saint Anselm College made a retreat to Toah Nipi Retreat Center in Rindge New Hampshire. Led by Anna Gaby ’25, Jen Patient ’26 and Olivia McGuire ’25, the retreat’s focus was one’s authority in life and with God. 

The women were inspired by several talks given by a graduate of Saint Anselm College, Raleigh Armstrong ’21. Raleigh focused on some very important points including trust and faith in God throughout hardships. She also talked about how we do not always realize how important some people in our lives are and how they impact our lives for the good.

The women enjoyed small group discussions, journaling, games, and scenic also some very nice hikes around the beautiful retreat center which were very beautiful. Maddie Brown ’25 said, “I had a really great time, and specifically the retreat center that it was held at was really awesome and definitely added to the whole experience. The cabins we stayed in and the nature trails and the lake right outside were all so cool and I would say it helped us to understand the theme of the retreat better and really experience God’s creation throughout our time there.” 

Jen Patient, one of the retreat leaders, Jen Patient ’26 shared, “This was my first time participating in an entirely student-led retreat, and I think the experience testified to the power of peer ministry. We have so much to learn from each other, and it was empowering to get to explore the topic of recognizing our authority as children of God surrounded by a community of peers. It’s always special to get to meet people that you wouldn’t necessarily otherwise meet, and it was a cohesive, welcoming group of women right from the start. God took care of the details, and the retreat served as an opportunity for us to look inwards and upwards to connect with ourselves, our community, and God.”

Anna Gaby, a fellow leader, said, “Planning this retreat was my first experience running something like it, and I was pleasantly surprised with how smoothly everything went. Helping Anna plan alongside my other friend Liv was so much fun! The Holy Spirit was very present in our meetings. Our goal was for Saint Anselm women to have a relaxing and empowering start to their Easter break, and I believe that was accomplished! We had a lovely group of women, and we all had a good time connecting with God, each other, and nature through our speaker’s insightful talks, games of ping pong and foosball, and time by the misty waterfront.” 

The retreat was a relaxing break for participants to get some time away from all of life’s problems, and also grow closer to God and to peers.