Koinonia Weekends
Offered once each semester, Catholic Illini retreat weekends are completely student-run. A retreat weekend for students, by students, this amazing 2-night retreat is all about helping you find peace of mind, freedom of heart, and an amazing community of love and friendship.
By the end of the weekend you'll leave with:
- a toolkit to get through campus life's ups & downs, find peace, and manage stressful times,
- authentic, meaningful friendships,
- a joyful community ready to support you,
- a new experience of God's love for you.
Take stock of what’s working and what’s not working in your life today, discover hope in God’s love, and get ready to begin living in joy! If you are just beginning to explore your faith or are wondering how faith can fit into your college experience – this weekend is for you!
2025-2026 Retreat Dates
- October 24-25, 2025
- February 13-15, 2026 (register now)
On a Catholic Illini Retreat, I deepened my faith through prayer, the sacraments, and the community. It gave me a new group of friends for the rest of my college experience that kept growing every retreat! I think everyone can benefit from the time spent exploring faith and new healthy friendships.
I was going through a really hard time in life when I decided I just needed a break and signed up for the Koinonia Catholic Illini Retreat. I never imagined it to be so transformative into a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Catholic faith while meeting lots of Catholic Illini and strengthening friendships with some of my best friends. Giving up one weekend seems so small compared with the fruits I received.
When I arrived at Newman as a freshman, I didn’t know very many people and was having some trouble finding the Catholic community to connect with. Going on Koinonia was instrumental in connecting me to a vibrant Catholic community that enriches my life to this day, and has given me amazing opportunities to grow in leadership and closeness to God.
I started off college making friends that I regularly hung out with, but the friendships were shallow, lacked a strong root, and left me feeling dissatisfied. Then I went on a Catholic Illini retreat and met fellow students seeking Christ who truly desired to bring me with them. Through the community, I met even more students from different Catholic Illini retreats, continuing to find and build those authentic relationships I had been seeking. If you are looking for authentic friendships rooted in Christ in your life, then this is the retreat for you.
Before attending my first Koinonia retreat, I was a practicing Catholic but felt some pessimism toward the idea of the retreat itself. However, during that weekend, I experienced an unexplainable joy in my heart, which I can only attribute to encountering the profound love of Christ. Koinonia has since become more than just a group to me—it’s a community that has transformed my faith and filled my life with His peace and love.
To anyone nervous about going because they feel alone, vulnerable, or unworthy, don’t worry; you needn’t have to do anything except show up, whatever state you are in, and by the end, you’ll be renewed and refilled, even so much so that your cup will overflow.
