You might see the girls sitting in the back of the chapel at Mass everyday, but what do they do and why is it important? The Faith Peer Leaders, or FPLs, make up a club for girls in grades 9-12, and they act behind the scenes of daily Mass at Montrose. 

So what do they do exactly? FPLs dedicate time in the morning to set up the chapel so it is ready for Mass. They prepare the priest’s vestments, or attire for Mass. Preparing the Chalice that goes on the altar and counting the amount of hosts to be brought up during the offering are other duties of the Faith Peer Leaders to set up for Mass. Additionally, we compose a monthly display on the bulletin board outside the chapel, usually relating to the special celebration of the Church that month such as the holy souls in purgatory during November.

Although the role of the FPL group has remained mostly the same this year, some changes have been made due to COVID. These changes include ringing the bells during the consecration, not holding up trays during Communion, and not counting people to make sure that there will be enough hosts. Prior to the pandemic, anyone who sat where the bells were could take the job, but now for sanitary purposes, it is solely an FPL responsibility. Previously, trays were used to make sure that no pieces of the Host fell on the ground throughout the distribution of Communion. People are no longer counted for hosts due to the various classrooms used to livestream Mass. But other than these small changes, we have not made other changes to our process.

What is it like to be a Faith Peer Leader? Being an FPL is a big responsibility, and the girls who embrace that responsibility love it. One of the Core FPLs (club leaders) Gabriella Bachiochi ‘21 said: “My favorite part of being a Faith Peer Leader is getting to spend extra time with God in the chapel. We get to offer up our time to set up and clean up the chapel daily.” Since this is her senior year, the FPL experience is also bittersweet for Gabriella. The thing she says she’ll miss the most is “making the bulletin board monthly — even if it is a lot of work. And I will miss training the new girls and getting to catch up with them while we clean up the chapel together!” The Senior FPLs will be greatly missed next year. We are so grateful for their guidance, especially to the new FPLs and rising Core FPLs. 

If you’re interested in becoming a Faith Peer Leader, the Core Faith Peer Leaders will give you a training session in which they’ll explain how each element of the chapel is set up. Most tasks are pretty straightforward; however, some things, such as setting up the chalice, can appear somewhat complicated. To help the new Faith Peer Leaders, the Core Faith Peer leaders this year made videos explaining the process. They are also very supportive and reassure newcomers that they are always there to help with the more confusing parts. 

Why do we do Faith Peer Leaders? For one, being an FPL is a great way to give back to the Montrose Community, especially because we play an important role in the celebration of the Mass, the most important aspect of the Catholic faith. By participating in the FPL club, we learn more about the process of the Mass. Because receiving Christ in the Sacrament of Communion is such a significant part of our Faith, helping make it easier for others to celebrate the Mass is part of the reason why it is a wonderful service. 

If you have any questions or want to talk about the Faith, feel free to reach out to us (Alanna and Bella). Faith Peer Leaders are always open to any questions about the Catholic Faith or any other faith-related discussions.

Bella Convery, Alanna Hyatt 

22iconvery@montroseschool.org, 22ahyatt@montroseschool.org