Flintridge Sacred Heart is a Catholic, Dominican, all-girls school. However, not all students at FSH are practicing Catholics. On the Hill, there are many ways that students connect to their spirituality, which is an individual practice carried out to achieve personal peace and purpose. There are also a wide variety of religions amongst the staff, faculty and students, from Protestantism to Atheism.

Samantha Savage ‘23 identifies as a Protestant Christian, and sees her spirituality as something intertwined with her faith.

“I think the way I see spirituality in Christianity is a connection with God and Jesus. From that connection, I can think of how I relate to the world around me,” Savage said.

Savage’s primary way of connecting with her spirituality is through prayer.

“When something hard happens I’ll pray about it, and when something good happens to me I’ll pray about it. I love maintaining that connection with God constantly. It reminds me that he’s always there and working in the world around us,” Savage said.

This method of prayer is a common thread throughout many spiritualities on the Hill, as told by Kirthana Senthil ‘23, who considers her religion to be Hinduism, but her spirituality to draw from the principles of other religions, like Buddhism, as well.

“I find my relationship with God by praying and reading the scriptures from the Bhagavad Gita or any other Hindu ‘textbook’,” Senthil said.

Alongside prayer, Senthil also does many other things to stay in touch with her spirituality.

“I practice my spirituality in my everyday life by meditating, praying, writing in a journal, and applying my beliefs to everyday life like being kind to others and not doing any harm to anyone. I also try to be more accepting and forgive anyone I have not forgiven,” Senthil said.

Similarly, Savage also has different ways of practicing her spirituality outside of prayer, including going to church.

“I go to high school ministry on Wednesday nights, then volunteer at middle school ministry on Saturday nights. Sometimes, if it works out, I’ll go to church with my family on Sunday mornings too. It’s a cool way to practice my spirituality in a community,” Savage said.

This practice of attending church is shared by Julia Krider ‘23, who identifies as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

“On Sundays we have two different meetings, Sacrament meeting (similar to communion where members of the congregation give talks) and Sunday School where we have lessons about things like the Old Testament. I also attend early morning Seminary everyday, except for Fridays, from six to seven a.m. I’m with people of my age group and sometimes it’s really fun. It’s similar to Sunday School because it helps us have a more personal relationship with religion. Having a way to directly interpret books of scripture has become something I really value. My spirituality is really personal to me and shows me how my religion is applicable in my everyday life,” Krider said.

On the other hand, there are many students on the Hill who do not affiliate with a specific religion but still practice their spirituality. One example is Shannon Gray ‘25. Although Gray does not identify with a specific religion, her preferred method of practicing spirituality is using crystals.

“For example, if I’m feeling stressed or need to focus, I’ll hold Sodalite, which is a type of crystal. I hold it in my hand, then envision everything bad flowing out of my body and it makes me feel a lot better. I even do it before I go to bed.” Gray said.

Despite the differences in how Tologs practice their spirituality, they all agree on one thing: practicing spirituality has bettered their lives and them as people.

“[Spirituality has] made me a more contemplative person and showed me I can connect to the world around me in a different way,” Savage said.

Similarly, Senthil believes that her religion has made her a better person, and encourages her to find her own spiritual path.

“I am grateful for being able to express my spirituality in multiple ways and not conforming to one specific way,” Senthil said.

Gray agrees, describing her spirituality as an immensely helpful part of her life.

“Before I had any crystals, I’m honestly not sure what I did. Having a way to relieve my stress and calm me down through my spirituality has really changed my life,” Gray said.