A beloved Siena tradition is being carried on at a Catholic high school in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The Blessing of the Brains offers prayerful support from Siena’s friars right before exam time at the end of each semester. Meredith (McElroy) Espina ’22 was heavily involved with Franciscan ministry during her time on campus, and fondly remembers the tradition of gathering for the blessing and fueling up afterwards with “B” snacks: brownies, bananas and bacon.
“It’s great that all Siena students are welcome at this,” said Espina. “It’s a very Franciscan thing to do. My roommates and I always made a point to go, and it helped so much with the stress of exam time.”
The blessing event made such an impression that she introduced it in December at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, where she leads spiritual life and ministry for more than 1,600 students in grades 9-12. Lacking a space large enough to hold all their students at once, she and Fr. Luke Rawicki, L.C. tailored their event to offer a brief prayer and blessings at the start of the two lunch periods in the school cafeteria. And of course, there were brownies.
"Students were pulling their friends with them towards the group to participate in the blessings," she said. "It was great to share laughs and prayer with students right before finals, when stress is typically high. Some students even came back for a second or third blessing!"
There’s another Saint at Cardinal Gibbons: Megan O’Neill ’21 teaches math there, and said even five years post-grad, Siena’s traditions and Franciscan mission continue to shape how she shows up each day.
“Getting to work alongside my best friend Meredith has been a gift, as we’ve found ourselves carrying forward traditions that first formed us as students at Siena,” said O’Neill.
One of their most meaningful full-circle moments was when the pair returned to the St. Francis Inn in Philadelphia to serve the homeless. They had volunteered there as Saints, and came back as educators with a group of their own students from Cardinal Gibbons.
“Seeing the profound impact the experience had on them fills me with so much pride in who they are becoming, and it is so special sharing that with them,” she said.
Fr. Mark Reamer, O.F.M., D. Min., was on the board at Cardinal Gibbons when he served as a pastor in Raleigh, and played a significant role in encouraging Espina to enroll at Siena.
“It’s a really great high school with a strong emphasis on faith, service and leadership,” said Fr. Mark. “Meredith is a great ambassador for Siena and I’m thrilled she’s found a way to bring some of the Siena Franciscan and Catholic tradition to enhance the wonderful spirit that exists at Gibbons.”