St. Herbert Prayer Room
We are each called by name. This was the central
theme surrounding the commissioning of this
year’s Faith Youth Ambassadors in the peaceful
setting of our school’s very own Prayer Room on
Wednesday October 23rd 2012. In a beautiful
ceremony hosted by our Grade 8 Faith Youth
Ambassadors and attended by Mrs. Cristobel, Mr.
Prugo and Mrs. Belmonte a group of grade 7
students prepared to answer their call to
discipleship. Mrs. Cristobel called each student by name in soft but solemn voice as each
student came forward to place their own rock with their name written on it into a communal
cup symbolizing their commitment in responding to being called by name to the discipleship of
the Faith Youth Ambassadors. The Liturgy which was prepared and conducted by St. Herbert’s
Faith Youth Ambassadors was blessed both in terms of the prayerful setting of the Prayer Room
in which it was held, but also by those in attendance. Everyone’s hearts and minds were
focused on God as written in the opening words of the student prepared liturgy “You are here
among us and within each of us, you guide us as we work to build your kingdom.”
We are all called in different ways… our principal Mrs. Belmonte was called to set aside a place
within St. Herbert School and to make it a place where everyone could gather and pray, and
have fellowship in the presence of God. In so doing Mrs. Belmonte called others within the
school community starting with the teachers who are
really the first disciples within our school to
contribute their ideas, and their vision of the prayer
room. The room began to take shape. Prayerfully
and carefully, different elements were added to the
Prayer Room. Some additions were made by
students, some acquired by staff and students on
their trip to Quebec like the copper portraits of our
Blessed Mother and Our Lord which are the focal point for the very front of the St. Herbert
Prayer Room. In time, the St. Herbert Prayer Room was ready to be blessed. The call went out
to our St. Joseph parish to which our school is always connected. On Monday June 5th 2012 at
9:30am Father Matthias and two young seminarians came with holy water and the special
prayers to bless our prayer room. Present to witness the blessing of our prayer room were
several classes from the school. All were splashed with holy water as Father Matthias walked
around the room sprinkling the walls, the floors, the attendees with the words of another call
to our St. Herbert community. “Now that this room has been blessed for you, use it…use it.”
Not many Catholic elementary schools have the blessing of having their very own prayer room.
Teachers throughout the school have made use of the prayer room from the beginning. Grade
two children had part of their retreat in preparation for their First Holy Communion, students
with their teacher’s guidance and support have prepared prayerful presentations for the entire
school community, and some have taken time quietly and prayerfully to reflect on how God is
calling them. How humbling it is to see God’s call to one person to set aside a room for prayer
and reflection and then to see how the room has taken shape, has been used, has been
blessed, and continues to be used by those called by
name. May God continue to bless St. Herbert School,
the students, the staff and family and may we all
continue to strive to answer His call, just as this year’s
Faith Youth Ambassadors have done. The St. Herbert
Prayer Room is on the second floor of the school
across from the Library and the door is unlocked if you
would like to go in.