Listen, child of God, to the guidance of your teacher…
…My words are addressed to you especially, whoever you may be, whatever your circumstances, who turn from your pursuit of your own self will and ask to enlist under Christ, who is Lord of all, by following him through taking to yourself that strong and blessed armour of obedience which he made his own on coming into our world.
(from the Prologue to the Rule of St Benedict)
For six years now the school has had excellent links with St Laurence’s Monastery at Ampleforth in North Yorkshire. Many staff and pupils have learnt much from the Order of St Benedict. St Leonard’s School Retreat programme offer pupils in Years 10-13 the opportunity to spend a few days in prayer, work and reflection. A retreat is simply a time when we step back from our day to day lives, in order to re-charge our spiritual and physical batteries and then re-emerge revitalised. Many people find that the best way to do this is to go away from their familiar everyday surroundings and go to a quiet place such as a monastery, like Ampleforth. Being away from our normal worries and concerns, new light can be shed on old problems or difficulties. Some go on retreat in order to seek a solution to a problem; others go in order to spend a more intense period in their search for God.
