Part of our opening routine in 7th and 8th grade English has always been praying together, and for the first half of the year, I led both the praise/thanksgiving and the intercession parts of the prayer. After Christmas break, I told the students that I would like them to voice intercessions for us to pray for as a group, as I have seen miracles happen when I have done this in Confirmation classes and in my early years teaching at a Catholic school in Pawtucket, RI. The week started slowly, with only a couple of student-led petitions, but by the end, there were a lot more, especially in the 7th grade class.  By week's end, the news had spread that we were praying for intentions, and I started getting text messages and emails from people asking that we pray for certain intentions (e.g. relatives affected by the LA fires, friends facing financial issues, people suffering from depression). The prayers were always anonymous or by first name only. I was very moved by the fact that our community values the prayers of 30 teenagers so much that they are sending in requests. I know several students were moved too. What a testament to faith! What an opportunity for our students to grow in faith! What a blessing to belong to a school community that believes in the power of prayer!

Written By: Deacon Tom Lovett
Date Published: January 17, 2025