Last Tuesday, the entire St. Dominic student body participated in the annual Living Rosary. It was a beautiful ceremony that celebrated our seniors, faculty and staff and most importantly our Blessed Mother.

Participating students representing the beads of the rosary sat in a ring around the Fallon Family Center, and the rest of the student body filled the bleachers and gym floor. As leaders read the prayers of the rosary, representative’s candles would be lit for each Hail Mary.

Each decade represented a class and the faculty, so the entire St. Dominic community was represented. The religion department nominated exemplary students to be the participants in the rosary.

“I was very honored to be chosen to represent my class. It was so special to be able to pray for and stand-in for all of my friends and peers,” junior Breanna Schreimann said

The event is largely put on by the peer ministers; they led prayer, lit the candles, brought up flowers to the statue of the Blessed Mother and set and cleaned up the gymnasium.

During the ceremony, many others were honored after prayer. 28 seniors who showed exemplary service by working over 150 hours of service were honored and given certificates. Senior Tate Cross gave an amazing testimony about his volunteer time spent with care service Gwendolyn’s Gifts.

Faculty and staff were also recognized for major milestones in service to St. Dominic, including those who could not be honored last year. Mrs. Laurie Savant and Mr. Adam Kuebler celebrated 11 years of service, both Mrs. Ann Mueth and Mrs. Trisha Goins have given 16 years of service, Mr. Greg Koeller and Mrs. Mary Nasser celebrated 20 years of service and Mrs. Liz Murphy celebrated 21 years of service. Finally, celebrating 25 years of service to St. Dominic, are Mr. Steve Wing and Mr. Greg Cissel.

“It was a wonderful event, and I felt very honored to stand up there with such an amazing group of people,” Mrs. Goins said.

The Living Rosary was first founded by Sister Jeanne Margaret Stoltz, who was the last sister of St Dominic’s founding order the Dominican Sister of Sparkhill to serve at St. Dominic. It was Sister Jeannne’s 50 anniversary as a professed sister, and her only requested gift was that the entire school gather to pray the rosary. The practice continued on and a tradition was born. Yesterday’ rosary marks 26 years of this beautiful communal prayer!

“I feel the rosary is a great way to unite the students in prayer and honor our Blessed Mother. The living rosary here at St. Dominic to me is important because St. Dominic, our namesake, started the praying of the Rosary,” campus minister Shelley Lang said.

Last year, the entire student body was not able to be present together. Instead, a few administrators lit the candles and a few peer ministers led prayer. It was broadcasted on Facebook Live, so the entire St. Dominic community could still take part.

This week is the class of 2021’s last week at school, causing many bittersweet emotions. Before our senior class leaves, we were grateful to spend this time in prayer together, celebrating our amazing St. Dominic family.