A Solidarity and Social Justice Retreat is an intentional opportunity for you to engage in learning about important social justice issues.

These retreats are designed to raise awareness about issues directly tied to the work of our community partners, and to examine the larger impact these issues have on the experience and social outcomes of the community members who face them. Upon returning from these experiences, students make a commitment to activism, diversity, education and acts of solidarity with the particular issue on the Nazareth campus, in our community, around the country, and in our world.

Focus: Civil Rights

When:  January, annually

You will travel to historical sites in Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee and meet with activists, historians and scholars. You will gain a deeper understanding of segregation and the ramifications of structural racism and become empowered to be an advocate for civil rights and to work against injustice everywhere. You will also learn about the Sisters of St. Joseph who participated in the civil rights struggle and the direct connection between Nazareth College and their foundational work at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Selma, Alabama. This was the only hospital and nursing school within 8 counties that served African American community members.

For more information please contact Jamie Fazio at jfazio1@naz.edu

Focus: Immigration

When: Spring Break, annually

Description: You will gain an understanding of immigration, learn about the structures that shape migration, and look firsthand at different sides and stages of the issue. You will talk with migrants, faith leaders, workers, service providers, and law enforcement to humanize the issues and escape limiting stereotypes and misconceptions.

For more information please contact Nadia Mullin at nmullin7@naz.edu

Focus: Holocaust and Genocide

When: May 2022

Description: You will study the Holocaust under the collective guidance of Holocaust scholars, survivors, and Israeli and Polish guides. On this 10-day trip, you will visit cities that were once vibrant Jewish communities, concentration and death camps engineered by the Third Reich, and historic locations commemorating acts of resistance and rescue in the face of the "final solution."

Details: The March

For more information please contact Jamie Fazio at jfazio1@naz.edu

Focus:  Hunger and Homelessness

When: December and May, annually

St. Francis Inn is a Catholic Franciscan community located in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia where operate a soup kitchen run in the style of a restaurant. The Inn empowers persons to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty, and to address structural injustice, by building relationships, respecting their human dignity, helping them restore hope in their lives, and by living simply among them.

As a result of this experience, you will will gain insight into the lives, experiences, and challenges facing this those who are experiencing food insecurity and homelessness and will be able to analyze the economic poverty prevalent in cities and communities throughout the country. 

For more information please contact Jamie Fazio at jfazio1@naz.edu

Focus: Contemplative Practice and Meditation

When: May 2022

Spend two days in Paris before taking a train to Taizé Community, an ecumenical religious community. Spend one week living in intentional, international community with other young adults, attending prayer services, and being a part of international small group discussions.

For more information please contact Nadia Mullin at nmullin7@naz.edu