Search Retreat—Request for Letters

Dear SU Faculty and Staff,  

As many of you may have heard from students, it’s time for this year’s Search Retreat. Put on by Campus Ministry, Search is an opportunity to deepen spirituality in the context of community. Given the important role that you play in so many students’ lives, you can help to make this experience a meaningful and memorable one by writing letters for students attending the retreat! You can access a list of students who will be attending or leading Search on the weekend of May 13-15 by following this link. Please take a few moments to review the list and see if there are any students attending whom you know and, if so, consider participating by writing Palanca letters.  

What, you might ask, is Palanca? The Spanish professors among you will know that the word comes from palancar, Spanish for “to lever” or “to lift up or raise.” On the Search Retreat, Palanca is a special gift that consists of letters and notes of love and support written for retreatants by family members, friends, professors, and mentors. We encourage letters that express your love for the retreatant, the encouragement you want to offer them, the special memories you have shared with them, and/or your gratitude for the gifts they have offered you. It can be as simple as an inspirational quote, a poem, a photo, or a fond memory. Palanca letters are a central part of the retreat, which also includes talks by peer leaders, small group conversations, and time for reflection and relaxation.

Furthermore, Palanca is a surprise, so we ask that you do not mention it to your students until after the retreat. 

Please e-mail your letters as soon as possible to searchretreat@seattleu.edu so that we may receive them no later than Wednesday, May 11. In the subject line, please write “[Student Name]: Palanca” (e.g., “Jane Doe: Palanca”). While we will open your email to print your letter and put it in a sealed envelope, we will not read it – it is for the particular students’ eyes only.  

If you prefer to turn in a hard copy, they can be deposited in the Search drop box in the Campus Ministry office (STCN 120) during business hours (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.). Hard copies are due by the end of the business day on Wednesday, May 11. Please do not submit any letters by mail or drop off packages.  

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Stevi Hamill, Campus Minister for Retreats, at 206-296-5731 or hamillstevi@seattleu.edu.