Friends who pray together, stay together.

Going to college, I was blessed with an easy transition. Miranda was my roommate that I was randomly assigned to, who is now one of my dearest friends, along with my dorm neighbors -- Ashley and Joan. We all bonded so well and were very extroverted, always wanting to meet new people during Freshman Orientation and stay up in the wee hours of the night (like 4am...). We bonded with a couple of guys over deodorant, scooters and kendamas.

We met more and more people and decided to start a group-chat. From there, a 'Rosary Gang' started and we came together every night to pray the rosary. Some nights we would have 3 people, other nights we would have 25. It was beautiful.

Little did we know, that tradition would carry well into our sophomore year. The people who attended regularly developed a tighter bond, forming a friend group. We always had fun with it by inviting other friends and strangers, finding new locations to pray, and frequently going to Late Night in the cafeteria for ice cream after.

It was always beautiful because at college, pieces are always shifting. You are meeting new people, attending different classes, and stressing out about some exam that's coming up, but we had one constant to count on -- the Rosary. It was beautiful to see the same friends every day and experience that relief. No matter how much work I had or how stressed or sad I was, I always tried to carve out 30 minutes each night to reunite with my friends to pray.

Fast forward to now, we are all in different places in life. I am going to Ireland. Joan and Taylor are working in Idaho. Amelia got a job in Milwaukee. Jimmy and David are doing their study abroad in Austria. And Miranda, Ashley, Bridget, Elijah, Frankie, and Craig are all back on campus. And I have the confidence that we will stay just as close. I accredit that to our Blessed Mother.

My friends aren't here to hold me accountable to pray the Rosary everyday, but when I do, I always include them in my intentions. I am grateful for those nights and look forward to more when I am reunited with them.