On Wednesday, October 14, Saint John Vianney eighth graders journeyed through contemplative, silent prayer on their final retreat as the Class of 2016. Exploring the theme of "personal relationship with God", each student, within small groups led by an adult faculty member or parishioner, experienced a variety of prayer exercises. Rotating every fifteen minutes through the seven stations of silence proved to be a fruitful challenge for students and leaders alike. Moving from room to room, the Class of 2016 pushed themselves to experience silent activities ranging from sitting still with a pebble, creating a prayer wall with sticky notes, meditating with Scripture in color, engaging in praise and worship with music, stretching  their bodies in a multitude of prayer postures, writing notes of gratitude to others and composing letters to themselves to be opened on graduation day. Two full hours of contemplation and silence culminated with celebrating Mass with their pastor, Fr. Ken Knippel. The day continued with lunch, free time on the beautiful grounds of the Schoenstatt Retreat Center in Waukesha and an afternoon group activity focused on discussing how we all might best prioritize our faith, especially as the students prepare for a transition into high school. The Saint John Vianney Class of 2016 boarded the bus feeling ready and equipped to integrate quiet prayer at school and at home, confident in their path as young Catholics.