Each morning, the Mitty community takes a moment to observe the morning prayer. Ranging from meditations to scripture reading, this activity allows each individual a moment to pause and reflect before plunging into a busy day. These moments are made possible by the efforts of student volunteers and staff coordinators at Campus Ministry.
In addition to being a contemplative moment, students are encouraged to find greater meaning in the morning prayer. This includes finding ways to apply the messages of the prayer such as inclusivity and compassion in their daily lives or reflecting on the purposes of special occasions such as religious holidays.
The prayer is pre-recorded, which allows greater consistency and reduces schedule disruptions for those participating in prayer recording. Student volunteers come into the Campus Ministry building to individually record prayers in a vacant office or common room. This approach avoids the stress of speaking live while preserving the meaningfulness of addressing the entire student body. Senior Maria Mukhar describes, “It is not nerve-wracking, but it is nice to realize that even though you are recording yourself alone, a greater community will get to hear it, too.”
Many LIFE Corps members even had the opportunity to record prayers over the summer to get a head start on the first semester. After this time period, students record prayers during their free time. This process is always open to new volunteers, and students can visit Ms. Roksana Gorgolewski at the Campus Ministry common room to start. All students are encouraged to stop by, regardless of grade level.
The Campus Ministry staff is in charge of selecting what lines are read daily, typically based on the events of the week. This includes holidays, holy days, and the weekly Friday scripture reading. For example, recent prayers celebrated Catholic Schools Week, and the announcement explains the life and significance of some saints on their feast days. Additionally, on Mondays respectively, Campus Ministry chooses a meditation to encourage mindfulness. No matter the specific type of prayer, Ms. Gorgolewski believes “it really is more than just a practice; it’s also very educational.” Prayers are meant to help students find ways to follow the virtues, lives of service, and teachings they describe.
Overall, the morning prayer is an exercise of student participation and collaboration that brings benefit to the entire Mitty community. This activity provides a much-needed moment for individuals to still and recenter themselves, contemplate the reading, or take some time to sit and relax before the busy day ahead.