Over the years, Oratory Prep has offered a number of extracurricular activities, ranging from sports like basketball to clubs like mock trial or the Omega. Oratory also offers programs like intramurals, meditations and food drives, for those who look for less of a commitment, but still want to stay involved. One of these activities is the Minyan.
Obviously, some of you may be asking what exactly Minyan is. Minyan is “a quorum of ten men (or in some synagogues, men and women) over the age of 13 required for traditional Jewish public worship” as defined by Oxford Languages. Oratory Prep does well in keeping this definition to heart, and modeled their prayer service accordingly. Hosted by the Saint Philip Neri Club, Minyan is a short, 5-10 minute prayer service, where a group of boys get together and pray a decade of the Rosary every Thursday after school in the Chapel. Anyone from Oratory can go after school on Thursday and offer up intentions. Minyan is a great way to clear one’s mind and reduce stress.
For those who are a part of the Saint Philip Neri Club, you can attend Minyan every week instead of attending Morning Mass once a month. This is very useful for club members such as myself, who live about 40 minutes away from school. Attending Minyan after Thursday has become an integral part of my routine, and allows for a very fair alternative to those who live just a bit farther away.
Minyan is hosted by Joshua D’cruz and Henry Bolster, two devoted members of the Saint Philip Neri Club. As a part of Oratory Prep’s centennial year, Minyan has taken on a new look, modeling itself after Saint Philip Neri’s Oratory. On top of the two hosts, the Saint Philip Neri Club is in the process of recruiting 10 boys who will attend the Minyan every week, mirroring the traditional Minyan. This structure will help guarantee that the spirit of Minyan stays strong throughout the whole year. As Jesus said, “When two or more are gathered in my name, I am there.”
Overall, Minyan is a very important part of Oratory Prep’s culture. It allows for boys to come together and just pray. For those who need a little more God in their lives, come to Minyan! For those who need to pray for something, come to Minyan! For those who wish to get more involved, come to the Minyan! We operate every school after Thursday, and all are welcome.
