Religion Department Retreats at Albion

The Pacific Union College religion department kicked off the school year with its annual spiritual retreat on the weekend of October 1-3. This was a weekend of fun, fellowship, and communion with God in the picturesque location of PUC’s Albion Field Station on the Mendocino coast.

“This trip is often the highlight of the year for our theology majors,” says Leo Ranzolin, religion department chair.

The weekend’s bonding started on Friday afternoon with a two-and-a-half hour drive from PUC. The road to Albion twists and turns in sinuous curves hugging spectacular cliffs. Upon their arrival at Albion, the students and their guests were treated to a healthy meal at the Albion cafeteria. Freshman religion major Abraham Navarro, noted, “[The food] kept getting better and better.”

To kick off the Sabbath, religion and theology students provided a vespers in the recently renovated laboratory building. Theology sophomore Samantha Angeles delivered a moving message on the importance of wisdom. Fellow theology major Jason Whitley, commented, “I loved her sermon. It was a great reminder of what is important for those of us going into ministry.” 

The Sabbath morning church service was no disappointment, either. With the winding Albion River visible through the windows, one of the theology freshmen from Palau gave his testimony, and sophomore Cameron Haley preached.

“The testimonies and the sermons were fantastic,” Angelica Bermudez, freshman theology major, said of the service afterward.

After church, students engaged in the annual game of Bible Bowl, with students teaming up to test their general knowledge of the Bible, competing in teams. Later, a large group of students went to see the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse then repelled down a sinkhole. 

After another vespers program and a dinner of haystacks and root beer floats, students and faculty returned to the laboratory building for a night of fellowship and games before returning home the next morning.