A new group at Holy Ghost Prep, a Spiritan high school in Bensalem, PA, is encouraging leadership and service in the Spiritan tradition. The group, named “Hearts on Fire” is led by Fr. Dan Sormani, C.S.Sp., the chaplain at the school. Hearts on Fire is a response to a call of the Generalate for Spiritan educational institutions to offer young people a sense of place in the Spiritan community. 

“I am excited for Hearts on Fire because it is going to connect every club and sports team under our Spiritan Mission of building a service-oriented and faith-filled relationship with God,” said student member Carter Beaver. 

“I think that the group has an opportunity to connect with similar Spiritan groups around the world in order to promote the Spirit and service on both an international and local level,” said student member Nicholas Riccio. 

Hearts on Fire aims to bring together a variety of different existing groups and to connect them with other Spiritan Youth around the world. The name, Hearts on Fire, was developed with the Campus Ministry Team at HGP bringing to mind both Pentecost and the Road to Emmaus. Recent grad Logan Peterson designed the group’s new logo which they had embroidered on polos for the members.

“This sense of ‘Cor unum et anima una’ lived out will encourage a healthy mixing of our different groups and programs, a sense of solidarity and support, resulting in more growth and a deepening of faith. As the young people involved see themselves as part of a real spiritual family, they will, in turn, be an inspiration to others to become more involved on some level,” writes Fr. Sormani.

The group was inaugurated on August 23, 2024 when they had their kickoff retreat. Fr. Jeffrey Duaime, C.S.Sp. HGP Class of ‘76, joined them to share about Spiritan education and ministry. The group will be introduced to the whole community later this month to encourage more students to become involved. 

An example of how Fr. Sormani sees the collaboration of Hearts on Fire working is illustrated here: “There is already a project afoot where different school clubs are joining together to learn more about healthy eating and preparing healthy meals. Then they will cook and prepare healthy packaged meals in a large number that they will take to the local homeless center and share with the folks there as part of an outreach program of service and presence. All these diverse groups bringing their gifts together, listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit, and as Spiritan youth, responding with one heart and one mind. ”

General Superior, Fr. Alain Mayama, C.S.Sp., wrote a letter to Holy Ghost Prep encouraging them as they undertake this new project. 

“This experience of coming together at ‘Hearts of Fire’ is an opportunity to discover and deepen your personal call to encounter and know Christ by being and living Church. In an age marked by the temptation to separate, close down and withdraw into our own little groups, even within the Church and your school community, ‘Hearts of Fire’ has a prophetic significance as you remind us that we can do so much more together than alone,” he writes.  
 

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