Juan Diego CHS student body officers bring community together for Sunday rosary

Friday, Jul. 31, 2020

DRAPER — Juan Diego Catholic High School’s student body officers recently organized the first of six Sunday Sunset Rosaries at the grotto at the school. They did so to “sustain, enrich and strengthen” the school communities, Principal Dr. Galey Colosimo said in a letter inviting parents, students and others to attend.

“Like many of us, our students have been concerned and conscious about COVID-19 and all the change it has brought into our lives,” he said. “Amidst all of this uncertainty, our student leaders realized that some of them have forgotten how important prayer is in their lives. They decided that needs to change. Following the example set by the parish to keep our faith central amidst all that is going on, our students are inviting you to join them in prayer.”

At the July 19 opening event, which was livestreamed on YouTube, teachers and student body officers led those in attendance in the rosary, praying for an end to the coronavirus and for those impacted by it. 

“Over the last few months, we’ve experienced so many things that we could have never imagined,” said theology teacher Michelle Moynihan as she welcomed those who attended. “Wherever you’ve found your faith life these past few months, we know that community is important. Jesus said, ‘Where two or three are gathered in my name, so I will be also.’ That is not to say that God isn’t with us in our individual prayer lives. Of course he is, but it’s also an invitation to communal prayer. So that is the heart of why we decided to do these Sunday Sunset Rosaries, so that we could be together in the same physical space although socially distanced and that it would be an opportunity for us to pray both in person and virtually.”

Moynihan was followed by Student Body Officers Jack Donohoe, Carlie Davis and Lexi Clegg, who each led decades of the rosary.

 Then Kairos coordinator Peri Flanagan led the final decade.

“I think the word for this time period is ‘untethered,’” Flanagan said after the prayers. “It feels like an untethered spacewalk, not knowing what’s going to come next, or how to navigate in this very moment. Community, prayer, love and never-ending, radical compassion for ourselves and for others is the way. Let’s let go of our fear and surrender it all up to God.”

Flanigan concluded the event by sharing the words of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Saint Juan Diego with the 35 or so people who attended: “Listen, my son, to what I tell you now. Do not be troubled or disturbed by anything. Do not fear illness, nor pain nor any other distressing occurrence. Am I not your mother? Am I not life and health? Have I not placed you on my lap and made you my responsibility? Do you need anything else?”

Among those who attended the recitation of the rosary were J Colosimo; Father Stephen Tilley, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church pastor; Deacons Jeremy Castellano and Greg Werking; seminarian Tristan Dillon and members of the school’s faculty.

Sunday Sunset Rosaries will continue through Aug. 23 at the grotto at the school, which is on the Skaggs Catholic Center campus, 300 East 11800 South, Draper.