Peer Ministry encourages the sisterhood and faith community at the school.  The Peer Ministers are students that are looked up to as models for their devotion to God as well as for having a strong bond with each other. However, this bond has to start somewhere. 

On Friday, August 19, the Campus Ministry team hosted a workshop for this year’s Peer Ministers from 2:45-9:30 pm. It was held on campus, with several activities in different locations throughout the school. 

This lock-in has been a Peer Ministry tradition since Sister Carmen was the director of Campus Ministry, and Mrs. Pino has kept it going since she took on the role. The purpose of this retreat was to build a sense of community within the Peer Ministers and to provide them with guidance in being leaders of the faith community. 

“It is important for them to have the opportunity to build their relationship with God and with each other and to be formed in leadership skills that are going to aid them to be that presence on our campus,” Mrs. Pino said. 

The Peer Ministers participated in activities and lectures that were centered around teaching them to lead their peers when it comes to retreats and matters of faith.

“I feel that even though I was a Peer Minister last year, it was nice to have a refresher on how to be a good leader so that I could really give the students in any retreat I lead the best experience possible,” said senior Natalie Lopez, who is starting her second year as a Peer Minister. 

The girls also got the opportunity to bond with each other and build a stronger community through various ice breakers and, the fan favorite, a relay race in small groups.  

“My favorite part was the relay race because we had been sitting and listening to lectures for a long time and it was fun to play and compete with people I didn’t really know before,” said first year Peer Minister and junior Sofia Toledo.

 While building a relationship with their fellow Peer Ministers and learning how to communicate effectively with other students are all crucial parts to being a Peer Minister, the most important part is having a strong connection to God. 

“They need to grow in their relationship with God so that when they are leading those retreats, that they are talking to the students of Lourdes from an authentic place,” Mrs. Pino said. 

To facilitate growth in this area, the girls participated in group prayers, self reflections, and meditations that drew them closer to God. 

Through this workshop, the new team of Peer Ministers were able to touch upon all the necessary skills needed to be effective leaders in the school and are now ready to serve the school community once again this year.