Our Easter Activities for High School Students at St. Agnes
Interested in knowing more about Easter activities for high school students? Discover our Easter activities and traditions at St. Agnes Academy in Houston, Texas.
By Mace Bautista '28
When you were little, Easter was probably a fun-filled holiday, brimming with soft pastel colours, lovable figureheads like the Easter bunny, Easter eggs, and baskets, and more. But as we grow in age and our beliefs, this season turns out to be so much more profound than materialistic goods wrapped up in red ribbons.
Yes, it’s a blast to celebrate with playful chocolate bunnies and egg hunts, but we should remember that Jesus is at the heart of Easter – and St. Agnes commemorates the religious significance by incorporating both fun and faith into our Easter activities for high school students.
Celebrating the Deeper Meaning of the Easter Season
As a Catholic school, St. Agnes hosts a multitude of fun events leading up to and during the Easter season. These activities not only help strengthen the four pillars of St. Agnes – Community, Preaching, Prayer, and Study – but also help students grow in their faith during this Lenten season.
During the Catholic liturgical year, the days are divided into different sacred sections, each season having its own individual holy focus. Understanding these seasons helps us better understand why Easter holds such significance.
Ordinary Time
Ordinary Time is a period to reflect over the readings, spiritual growth, maturing in faith, and applying the Gospel to everyday life, allowing us to see Christ not only in the holidays of Christmas/Easter, but diurnally.
On a daily scale, school begins with morning prayer, each day a different one. This is personally one of my favorite things and a beloved factor in my morning routine as it helps soften the bright blow of early mornings, and can soothe anxieties I have through a little reflection and contemplation, reminding me to offer up my worries to Christ, which, during this Easter season, is more important than ever.
Some morning prayers to consider include:
- Morning Offering
- Dominican Blessing
- The Angelus
- And of course, the classics — the Hail Mary, Our Father, and Glory Be
Advent
Advent teaches us the gift of the Holy Spirit, patience, as we await Christ’s birth, God’s greatest gift to the world.
The season of Advent, a time of hopeful anticipation and spiritual preparation, profoundly teaches us the virtue of patience as we look ahead from Christmas to Easter.
This period of quiet waiting and longing is not merely an empty pause, but an active, faith-filled preparation for the momentous arrival of Christ. It is in this patient expectation that we truly prepare to receive Jesus, who redeemed humanity and offer edthe boundless love and salvation of God.
Lent
Now our current season - Lent - is a special and sanctified time of renewal, reflection, and rebirth. We are called to focus on deepening our understanding of what it means to be Catholic and of our role in the world.
The start of Lent is officially observed on Ash Wednesday, which is the 7th Wednesday before Easter Sunday. During this mass, Catholics receive a mark on their forehead in the shape of a cross using ashes. Traditionally, you should avoid meat, and even fasting is a welcome option.
This year’s Ash Wednesday fell on February 18, 2026, and the visiting priest recommended to us all a very good book called “The Great Divorce” by C.S Lewis, delivering a heartfelt homily over the meaning of Lenten sacrifices and how to properly execute them with true fulfillment.
Emphasizing the substantiality of intent, he preached on how to make the most of what you give up for Lent, which is through discipline and approach. For example, if you give up chocolate for 40 days just for you to make yourself sick over indulging on heaps of chocolate the day after Easter, what was the purpose of the sacrifice? God doesn’t want to see you suffer – he wants to see intent.
2026 Easter Activities for High School Students
On March 25, the whole school will congregate in Meyer Hall for our Spring Assembly! Pep Rallies to celebrate the seasons at St. Agnes are always filled with fun activities from faculty to freshmen to seniors.
The Tiger Girls usually perform an outstanding routine, executed with flair and perfection, as they always do for past assemblies. Or the St. Agnes and Strake Jesuit bands may present a beautiful serenade to raise and excite our spirits for the upcoming Easter holiday events.
Either way, this year's Spring Pep Rally will be something to look forward to, sure to be a joyful, festive break from the pressures of schoolwork and other commitments!
Next, consider some dates to mark in your calendar with big smiley faces and hearts:
- April 2, 2026 – ‘Whole School’ Mass in observation of Holy Thursday
- April 3, 2026 – Good Friday (No School)
- April 6, 2026 – Easter Monday (No School)
Before we celebrate His resurrection, St. Agnes has a ‘whole school’ mass on April 2 in observance of Holy Thursday. Then, we head into a long Easter weekend. It’s a time to reflect, celebrate the risen Lord, and spend meaningful moments with family and friends.
These traditions reflect the balance that St. Agnes does so well — honoring the sacredness of the season while still celebrating together as a community.
A Prayer for The Season
To finish off the introduction of Easter traditions and celebrations at St. Agnes, I’d like to introduce the entirety of the Dominican Sisters Blessing, which incorporates healing, divine protection, and spiritual enlightenment – all bringing the peaceful aspects of Easter to whoever prays it.
May God the Father bless us.
May God the Son heal us.
May God the Holy Spirit enlighten us,
and give us
eyes to see with,
ears to hear with,
hands to do the work of God with,
feet to walk with,
a mouth to preach the word of salvation with,
and the angel of peace to watch over us and lead us at last,
by our Lord's gift, to the Kingdom.
Amen.
Remembering What Is at the Heart of Easter
Before we celebrate His resurrection, we walk through reflection. Before the joy of Easter Sunday, there is sacrifice and intention.
At St. Agnes, Easter activities for high school students are not just about time off or seasonal fun, though those are blessings, too. They are about remembering what this season truly represents.
As we move through Lent and into Easter, we are reminded that faith is not just something we learn about in theology class. It’s something we practice daily in prayer, discipline, community, and joy.
And that is what makes Easter so much more than pastel colors and chocolate bunnies.
Have questions about how to celebrate the season with your family and grow in your personal faith? Contact our Campus Ministry team today!
