By Michael Gresham
The Texas Catholic
“Called to serve.”
The phrase embodies a core mission and ministry of Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep. It also served as an inspiration for the formation of the Blessed Theresa Rosary Society, a student-led organization fostering spiritual growth on the southeast Dallas campus.
“I had been discerning for a while a calling to spread the gift of praying the rosary more regularly and devoutly among our school community,” said Nivea Torres, the school’s principal and catalyst for the society’s creation. Her devotion to the Blessed Mother began as a member of the Legion of Mary in Puerto Rico, and it is a devotion she said she has carried with her all her life. “It is my lifesaver in moments of deep distress or doubt.”
Three years ago, Torres, who is in her fifth year as the school’s principal, began leading a parent rosary followed by a “Coffee with the Principal” on the first Friday of each month. In 2024, Torres said she felt called to bring this devotion to the school’s students. The Blessed Theresa Rosary Society was formed in response to that calling.
Torres said the society members model that core value of “called to serve” through their faith and devotion.
“Through the commitment to pray the rosary, we serve our school community and the greater world by praying for intentions that are needed and spreading love, kindness, and grace, just as the Virgin Mother would do,” the principal explained. “Through their membership in the group, students are also fulfilling the CRD mission to ‘nurture and challenge young men and women of all faiths to recognize and realize their full potential as they grow to love God, respect others, and serve their community.’”
Sister Bridget Waldorf, SSND, who serves in mission integration and campus ministry at Cristo Rey and co-advises the group, named the society in honor of Blessed Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger, foundress of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. The School Sisters of Notre Dame has served as the religious endorser of Cristo Rey Dallas since the school’s founding in 2015.
Growing in faith
The society’s first members were inducted in the fall of 2024 under the leadership of Class of 2025 graduate Jazmin Arevalo Garcia. Leadership now rests with senior Evelyn Ramirez, who was installed along with 23 other members on Oct. 24 during a special Mass that included a blessing for members of the Blessed Theresa Rosary Society as well as marked the 192nd anniversary of the School Sisters of Notre Dame’s foundation.
Ramirez said joining the society has been transformative.
“I originally intended to join the Blessed Theresa Rosary Society as an opportunity to gather together with others in my journey with the rosary,” Ramirez said. “It eventually evolved into the thing I looked forward to, as it was a time for peace with my classmates. I would say that it has enlightened me in my faith and in my ability to share in prayer with others.”
She added that the group helps her stay consistent in prayer.
“Building a relationship with God is difficult when you postpone the time you make for him; however, this club was making my experience much more enjoyable and continuous in my encounters with God,” Ramirez said.
Classmate Athziry Palacio said the society offers her a sense of peace and belonging.
“I joined the Blessed Teresa Rosary Society to grow in my faith and find peace in my life,” Palacio said. “I enjoy being able to pray a decade every last 10 minutes of lunch throughout the week and pray for those who really need it.”
Palacio added that the society serves as a community where she feels welcomed and “can seek love and joy from others as much as I do from myself.”
Cristo Rey Dallas senior Eva Barcenas, who initially joined the rosary society at a friend’s invitation, called her experience with being a part of the rosary society “life changing.”
“As time passed, I realized how much I truly enjoy praying at school with staff and students. Being part of this society has helped me grow spiritually, feel more connected to my faith and the people around me,” Barcenas said. “It has also helped me step out of my comfort zone in the most beautiful way. I’ve learned that prayer doesn’t just bring me closer to God, but it brings all of us closer together.”
Participation in the rosary society has also sparked leadership in the school community. Students organize weekly rosary gatherings and recently launched a Novena for the Dead and All Saints for November.
“Last year, I had a senior share that membership in the group changed her life — that she had committed to praying the rosary on a daily basis and had found healing to her troubled mind,” Torres said. “To hear this was so uplifting and encouraging.”
Ultimately, Torres hopes that through their involvement in the Blessed Theresa Rosary Society students learn the value and power of daily prayer.
“‘To pray the rosary is to hand over our burdens to the merciful hearts of Christ and his mother,’” Torres said, quoting St. John Paul II. “It is truly a simple and beautiful prayer that goes with you wherever you are.”
Cutline for featured image: Members of the Blessed Theresa Rosary Society at Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep hold rosaries received during their Oct. 24 induction and blessing. (MICHAEL GRESHAM/The Texas Catholic)
