As this season unfolds, Everest’s international students are each being invited to grow in intentional ways. The girls are preparing to make their “purity pledge” in Lourdes, taking time to reflect on what it means to live purity in mind, body, and spirit. Rather than approaching it as a one-time decision, the process unfolds gradually, giving each student the space to understand what she is choosing and why it matters. In the weeks leading up to Easter, their schedule has been intentionally filled with opportunities to think, question, and grow. Conversations range from the meaning of purity in today’s world to the practical side of living it out, like learning how to discern what they listen to or watch. One especially impactful moment comes through a panel discussion, where the girls hear honest perspectives on how young men view authenticity, respect, and virtue in relationships. This year, the girls will make their pledge in Lourdes, placing it in the hands of Our Lady. There, they will receive a ring that shows a visible reminder of something interior. The words tied to it are just as meaningful: “Remember that you are loved,” followed by the response, “Always and forever.” It’s a small exchange, but one that speaks to a much larger truth they are choosing to carry with them.
The boys are embracing Lent through specific campaigns including a Lenten bingo card, filled with opportunities to grow in prayer, generosity, and discipline. A 100-day countdown to the end of the year hangs on the wall, and each evening, one student adds a stroke of paint to mark the day’s end. Each mark is a reminder that these days matter, and that how they are lived matters too.
As we begin the third trimester, both groups are increasingly aware of forming themselves during their remaining time at Everest.
