When Ciara Gallagher moved to Northern Virginia from the Chicago suburbs during her sophomore year of high school, she had no idea what lay in store for her.
Gallagher had attended public school her whole life, but her parents thought that a Catholic high school might be a good change of pace. She enrolled at St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, and immediately involved herself in the school’s clubs and programs. “My mom encouraged me to be involved, and I knew that it wasn’t going to be good if I didn’t get involved in some way,” she said.
Gallagher thrived in campus ministry and appreciated the deep faith within the school’s culture. “It was just really cool for me, coming from public school, to go to a school where faith is everywhere, to have campus ministry as a place to grow in relationship with Christ,” she said.
Her experience in the public schools gave her a new appreciation for Catholic education. “I was always involved in my home parish, but to have it in school was something really different. Even the daily prayer, it was something totally new to me, and I feel like a lot of kids take it for granted,” Gallagher said.
Ever the servant leader, Gallagher became involved with and served as president of Panthers for Life, Paul VI’s pro-life club. She organized pro-life efforts throughout the school, such as organizing a baby item drive and inviting pro-life speakers to educate students.
“When human life is in danger, we should be concerned, no matter how old you are. Through any pro-life topic — whether it’s abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty — anything that involves human life at any stage, it’s important, and everyone has dignity,” she said. “I feel like no matter how old you are or what you’re interested in, you can agree on that, that everyone has dignity, and we should be working toward protecting it in all stages.”
Last year, Gallagher was awarded the Clarence Boone Award for extraordinary service in the school community. When campus ministry and Panthers for Life didn’t keep her busy, she could be found participating in Pink and White, a girls fellowship club, and in band, in which she played percussion.
An active member of campus ministry, Gallagher remembered the impact upon the campus community when Father Stephen J. Schultz suffered a stroke last October. “It was definitely scary. It’s weird not to have him,” she said. “I go to daily Mass, and so that was also very different. We were having priests from all around coming and filling (in). We miss him. We’re praying for him,” she said.
But Father Ramón Domínguez, the interim chaplain in campus ministry, helped the school adjust to the temporary loss, she added. “He just showed us a whole other side of being a school chaplain,” she said. “They’re both so wonderful, and we’re so blessed to have them.”
A parishioner of Nativity Catholic Church in Burke, Gallagher said that her fellow students have brought her the most joy at Paul VI. “You can find your people at PVI, and I found that through band, through different clubs that I’m in, and through the different friends that I’ve made.”
After graduation, Gallagher will attend The Catholic University of America in Washington. Her academic interests include history, philosophy, and media and communications. She plans to follow her love of campus ministry. “Finding a good group of people is very important to me because the friends I have now bring me closer to Christ and help me stay on that track,” she said.
For Gallagher, discernment will guide her path through college. “My big thing is to take it step-by-step and live in the present moment, where God wants me to go.”
