The Class of 2026 set out at the end of Lent on what has become one of the crowning experiences of a student’s experience at Everest. While school-day countdowns slip by, the number of impactful events for seniors increases. From final social studies debates to senior capstone presentations, athletic senior signing, and the senior walk, the next weeks will have many moments to celebrate our seniors as they prepare for the next steps in God’s plan for their lives. The senior pilgrimage becomes a cumulative formative experience during which students step away as pilgrims, allowing God’s grace to work in a powerful way.
This year’s trip once again brought the senior class to Spain and Lourdes. The group enjoyed the food, the culture, and visiting the holy sites. A highlight for the group was visiting Monserrat, hiking up the mountain and enjoying the beauty of God’s creation. The beautiful weather in Spain was contrasted by rain in Lourdes, but the graces were many. The students prayed for the many intentions they carried, for healing, and for one another as they visited the site of the Marian apparition, experienced the baths in Lourdes, and prayed the rosary at the grotto with pilgrims from around the world.
Fr. Thomas Salazar shared, “God blessed this senior pilgrimage in many ways. The students enjoyed the places we visited. It also helped that we had good weather in Spain, especially in Montserrat which helped us enjoy the spectacular views up on that mountain. Although it rained all day in Lourdes, the spiritual encounters the students had offset any bad weather we had that day. I am always pleased to see how many students appreciate the spiritual value to this pilgrimage. As a formator who has been working closely with them throughout the years, it gives me great joy to see them walk away from an activity like this with something deeper in their hearts.”
