Holy Week in Rome: Oakcrest seniors attend UNIV Conference

An Oakcrest education offers its students a rich curriculum rooted in the Classics, a strong, all-girls environment, and personal character formation through the spirituality of Opus Dei. 

 

Outside the classroom, students have the opportunity to engage in additional leadership training and character development through the Yuma Center and other Washington centers of Opus Dei as the students learn how to nurture their God-given talents and integrate their family, faith, and work into their lives. The various programs for young women are deeply influential as they strengthen their foundation and prepare for life in college and beyond. 

 

The formation that the young women receive culminates in a week-long trip to Rome, Italy during Holy Week to attend the annual UNIV conference, an international forum of young women to meet and discuss problem solving, while learning from experts and spending Holy Week in the presence of the Holy Father Pope Francis and the Prelate of Opus Dei, Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz. They attend talks and discussions, while also having the opportunity to immerse themselves in the rich cultural history and beauty of the Church in Rome. 

 

Led by Oakcrest history teacher and 6th grade class dean Ms. Ginny Boles, seniors Monica Beatty, Charlotte O’Beirne, Louise Guenther, Anna Guenther, Katie Kennedy, Ellie Bourdelais, Myriam McGovern, and Kathryn Schindler attended UNIV, seeing their Oakcrest experience come to life in a new way.  

 

“UNIV is an opportunity to see Opus Dei on an international level, because young women come from every continent to attend the conference,” Ms. Boles said. “The Oakcrest students that attended had each taken great advantage of the spiritual formation offered through the Washington centers of Opus Dei throughout their high school years.”

 

“I loved meeting girls from The Work (Opus Dei) from all over the world,” Louise said. “I never imagined we would become friends with girls from Lebanon, Nigeria, Canada, Spain, and so many other countries. Seeing the prelate of Opus Dei (Msgr. Ocáriz) and seeing the girls from all over reminded me of the size of the Catholic Church and Opus Dei.”

 

For Myriam, this was her first time out of the country.  She was also struck by the universality of Opus Dei and the Catholic Church that she witnessed. In their meeting with the prelate of Opus Dei she noted, “it was great to hear people’s questions and see how they felt Opus Dei had helped and supported them, especially those from parts of the world that are going through difficult times.” 

 

“People from all over the world would say things that I could relate to,” Myriam said.

Throughout the trip, Ms. Boles noted that the students would continually make comments that “really showcased their Oakcrest education,” she said. “They would talk about the things they learned in their classes, from 10th grade art appreciation to physics.” 

 

Other chaperones who accompanied the group also commented to Ms. Boles on the strength of the girls’ character and their understanding of culture. 

 

“During our Scavi tour, the tour guide picked up on how knowledgeable the group was, as well as their own faith,” Ms. Boles said, noting that the tour guide repeatedly told the girls “Brava!” as they would translate a Latin inscription or recognize a piece of antiquity. “The girls were knowledgeable and interested, and so (the tour guide) enhanced the tour because of the quality of the group.”

 

In addition to visiting the Catacombs, the Vatican Museums, and numerous churches and chapels, the girls sang the choral music for the Easter Vigil at one of the centers of Opus Dei, joyfully rehearsing their harmonies in the various piazzas and church courtyards throughout the city, literally singing through the streets of Rome.

 

“They were a witness to the beauty of a girls’ school done well,” Ms. Boles said. “This trip is a fruition of that education that they have received.” 

 

Ms. Boles explained that their trip had three themes: cheerfulness among the attendees, love and prayer for the Pope, and the hope to discover Opus Dei more deeply. 

 

“The trip was a great way to practice and grow in cheerfulness,” Ellie said. “There were several times where things didn’t go as we would’ve liked or when everybody was tired and hungry, but I think it was helpful that we kept reminding ourselves and each other that it was Holy Week and that we could offer up what may have felt like a suffering for Christ who suffered on the Cross.”

 

The students were able to attend Mass with Pope Francis on Palm Sunday and were seated in the second row at his audience on Wednesday of Holy Week. 

 

“The trip made me realize how much we really need to pray for the Pope,” Ellie added. “He needs our prayers more than ever now as he has become sick and has a lot to carry on his shoulders.” 

 

In addition to the educational and formative experiences that the students had at UNIV and in Rome, the students also said that the trip helped enrich their own spiritual lives. 

 

“Our week in Rome definitely helped me work on my spiritual life and particularly with prayer,” Ellie said. “It is so easy to push prayer aside when you are exhausted and sleep deprived, but that is actually the time God wants us to pray the most, when it is hard… (The experience) helped me learn how to make time for God in our busy and tiresome lives.”