Twenty-five Newman University students traveled to Westminster Woods Camp just west of Fredonia, Kansas, for the Cor ad Cor spiritual retreat Oct. 17-19.
The phrase “Cor ad Cor” stems from Doctor of the Church St. John Henry Newman’s quote of being “heart to heart.”
The Rev. Ed Herzog, Newman chaplain, affirmed that the students came “heart to heart” over the weekend — both with God and with one another. He described the retreat as “rooted in silence and the beauty of God’s creation.”
Students spent time in silent prayer, adoration and Mass. They also listened to talks by guest speakers Andy Churray and Solei Waialeale of Vagabond Missions. Cor ad Cor also featured activities like a pumpkin carving contest, a campfire, s’mores, a game of Mafia and many conversations over shared meals.
Stepping away
For student Alex Schreiner, the retreat was extra special as it marked her first at Newman. Schreiner’s schedule is jam-packed, not only as a nursing major, but also as a softball athlete, president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and her involvement with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Campus Activities Board.
“It meant so much to step away from my busy life and explore not only my spirituality but friendships as well,” Schreiner said. “I am super grateful that Father Ed and Melissa (Arguijo) encouraged me to attend this retreat. Without them, I wouldn’t have really thought about stepping away from the noise of life and attending.”
Her favorite aspect of the Campus Ministry retreat was connecting with fellow students she may not have otherwise met. The students stayed up late chatting, laughing and playing games around the campfire.
Growing together spiritually
The number of attendees this year was double the size of last year’s Cor ad Cor group. Herzog said that it was “great to see more than the ‘usual crowd’” at the retreat. One of his major goals for the 2025-26 academic year is to “expose more of the campus to Campus Ministry and what the church has to offer,” and he believes the retreat helped do just that.
In the midst of memory-making activities, the students dove deeper into their faith lives. Many left with a sense of spiritual renewal.
“Something that has really stuck with me is that the walk in faith is never alone,” Schreiner said. “We were created for each other, and our community in faith is always worth fighting for.”
Even Herzog left the retreat with powerful reminders of God’s presence — in his words, the “extraordinary in the ordinary.”
“I got to connect with and come to know a group of students in a very ordinary, yet extraordinary way because I genuinely believe that Christ brought us together and sustained the friendships that we established that weekend,” Herzog said. “That was the most rewarding for me.”
Schreiner encourages other Newman students to attend future Campus Ministry retreats. After all, “you get to explore your side of faith and learn about yourself,” she said.
She added, “You can grow no matter where in the faith process you are at.”
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