Hello, Royals! Are you in dire need of a glass of water? I know the juniors and seniors thirsted this past Monday at “I Thirst,” but what they were feeling was a spiritual thirst, not a physical one. This day was very special: all of the high schools in the Dioceses of Orange came together for this retreat, ready to listen to other students’ testimonies and an amazing talk by Nathan Crankfield.
In addition to talks from our Royals, we also heard testimonies from Cristo Rey, Santa Margarita and Mater Dei students.
Junior Lexie Curtis had the opportunity to share about her faith journey: “I have given a bunch of talks at my church, but giving one at “I Thirst” in front of a bunch of different people was definitely nerve-wracking at first. I just remembered to pray before and leading up to it, knowing that the Holy Spirit would guide me. I had so much fun hearing people’s feedback and how they related to my talk.” Lexie’s talk was so amazing and inspiring to her peers!
This day was filled with good vibes and high energy. After every break, we would transition by doing an activity or singing worship songs. My personal favorite part of the day was we singing worship songs: not only were we praying twice, but it lifted up everyone’s mood. We also had Chick-fil-A for lunch, which was a hit among Royals!
One of our lovely seniors, Cielo Lopez, got to talk after lunch as a good way to close out our day: “Although I was a bit nervous, I felt very accomplished afterwards feeling like I truly made an impact by being vulnerable and myself when giving my testimony.”
After the retreat was over, Addison Gutierrez ’26 shared, “I loved meeting new people, praying and listening to all of the talks. I’m sad that it is my last year but am glad I got the experience.”
At the end of the day, we had Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, giving our Royals the opportunity to connect closer to Christ and go forth into the world after the retreat.
Overall, our Royals had a great day, and the juniors are excited to go back next year!
