Navigating The Tides Together

Intentionally set before and after Easter Break, these gatherings created space within the rhythm of the semester, inviting students to step back, slow down, and consider how they show up for one another. Each service was shaped by the students leading it. Campus Ministry members chose the themes, wrote the prayers, and selected the music based on what they felt their peers needed most in that moment.  

For the 10th and 12th grade service on March 13, the focus was inward: on strengthening the relationships across grade levels and reflecting on what it means to show up for one another in both ordinary and challenging moments. Grounded in readings that described friendship as something “beyond price,” student leaders invited their peers to consider the kind of relationships they are actively building each day. 

As Caroline K. ’26 shared, “Jesus shows us that friendship is not just about spending time with people we enjoy. It is about choosing to care for others and to walk beside them through both the joyful moments and the challenging ones.” The idea came to life not just in words, but in action, as students paused to share advice, encouragement, and appreciation with one another—small exchanges that reflected something larger: that belonging is built through consistent, every day acts of care. Sometimes, connection simply begins with showing up: listening, encouraging, and reminding someone that they are not navigating this experience alone.  

For the 9th and 11th grade service on April 13, the lens shifted outward, drawing inspiration from the teachings of Pope Leo XIV following a Prayer Vigil for Peace at the Vatican just days before. In a world where conflict can feel distant yet constant, students were invited to consider a different starting point: that peace is not something that begins globally, but personally. 

“Peace is not just the absence of conflict,” Alinah S. ’27 reflected, “but a gift that we have to choose to welcome into our own lives first.” That idea grounded the service, not as an abstract concept, but as something lived out in everyday moments. From the pressures of upcoming exams to the noise of social media and the uncertainty of the world beyond campus, students reflected on what it means to hold onto a sense of steadiness within it all.

As Leila J. ’27 shared, while much of the world may feel beyond their control, “what matters most is how we respond to the chaos and tragedy that surround us.” In that way, peace became less about resolution and more about practice—something built through small, intentional choices each day. 

Together, these reflections connected the global to the personal, reminding students that they are not powerless. That even within uncertainty, they have the ability to lead with empathy, act with intention, and contribute to a more peaceful community, starting right where they are. 

While one group gathered in the Chapel, the other spent time in a more informal setting, strengthening relationships through shared conversation and creative activities. That balance, between reflection and connection, is intentional. It allows students to experience community not just as something they attend, but something they actively build. 

At a point in the year often defined by deadlines, exams, and next steps, these services served as a quiet but important reminder: that the strength of the Marymount experience is found not just in what students accomplish, but in how they show up for one another along the way.