PUTTING FAITH INTO ACTION

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July 5, 2026

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Jaylen Tillery represents Notre Dame Prep at immigration awareness retreat, challenges peers to move beyond inspiration to action. Rising NDP sophomore closes regional Assembly for Hope, calls fellow students to put faith into action.

When rising Notre Dame Prep sophomore Jaylen Tillery stepped to the podium to close the Assembly for Hope in Detroit on June 29, he wasn't simply concluding a conference.

He was speaking on behalf of Youth in Action for Immigration (YAIL) after two days spent listening, learning and reflecting alongside fellow Catholic high school students from across Southeast Michigan.

It was during the Pilgrims of Hope Immigration Awareness Immersion Retreat hosted by Strangers No Longer and his message was brief but memorable.

"More than inspiration, we need liberation," Tillery told those gathered. "And for liberation, we require action."

The retreat and Assembly for Hope brought together students, educators, clergy and advocates to explore immigration through the lens of Catholic social teaching while encouraging participants to become advocates for the dignity of every person. During the assembly, Strangers No Longer unveiled recommendations intended to help make Michigan a more welcoming place for immigrants.

"We are following in the footsteps of Pope Francis and Pope Leo and their exhortations around receiving immigrants and integrating immigrants in our society," Bill O'Brien, executive director of Strangers No Longer, told Detroit Catholic in a recent story. "Our proposals are practical. They're sensible. They're legal. And they make Michigan a stronger place."

Likewise, the organization's board president, Fr. David Buersmeyer, noted that its work is grounded in Catholic teaching. "We'll always be inspired by Catholic social teaching, because that is based on the dignity of every human person and the true common good that God wants to bring into this world."

Notre Dame Prep was represented at the retreat by Tillery and fellow rising sophomore Lily Buero, accompanied by upper school campus minister Drew Peters. Buero also was elected Advocacy Lead and now also serves as Notre Dame Prep's representative on the Youth in Action for Immigration Leadership Team (YAIL), extending the school's involvement beyond the annual retreat.

From reflection to responsibility

According to Peters, the students' reflections throughout the weekend were meaningful, "and in particular, Jaylen's were very powerful."

Tillery later explained that his remarks grew out of conversations shared during one of the retreat's reflection sessions.

"We were reflecting, and it just felt like such a beautiful community that we had built in that room," he said. "It inspired me to say something that I didn't even realize until it came out of my mouth."

Rather than allowing the weekend to end as an inspiring experience, Tillery challenged his fellow students to carry what they had learned back to their schools, parishes and communities.

"More than wanting to be inspired and saying, 'We're going to do this,' or 'We're going to say this,' or 'We're going to make a difference,' we actually have to do it," he said. "That's what liberation is."

He encouraged participants to become ambassadors for the people and stories they had encountered.

"Go out and tell people. Share this story with everyone you can," Tillery said. "We want to make a difference. That is action."

He closed his reflection by reminding those gathered that meaningful change often begins with individual commitment.

"I appreciate you all for coming out, because each one of you sitting here, filling one of these seats, is one step closer to the peace we want to see in our world."

A prayer for justice, unity and hope

Following his reflection, Tillery also was invited to offer the Assembly's closing prayer.

Beginning with gratitude, he prayed, "Thank you, God, for this time together. As we collaborate with our fellow citizens, may we love as You love us."

He prayed for public officials "that they may lead with the guidance of the Holy Spirit," for Church leaders "that they may lead with a spirit of hospitality and integrity," and for students and community leaders to "seek truth when faced with lies and uncertainty."

Remembering those at the center of the weekend's discussions, Tillery prayed for "migrants, immigrants, refugees, and all newcomers in our community—those whom Pope Leo calls 'witnesses of hope.'" He asked that they "feel welcomed and accepted with the same love You have shown us."

His final petition echoed the challenge of his reflection.

"We pray for wisdom to choose strength over comfort," he said, "because an easier path is only temporary. Strength, however, is forever."

Living the Notre Dame Prep mission

To Director of Campus Ministry Della Lawrence, that weekend was a reflection of the type of faith formation Notre Dame Prep seeks to provide its students through campus ministry and opportunities that connect classroom learning with lived experiences.

"Jaylen Tillery inspired all with his final reflection and closing prayer for this immersion retreat hosted by Strangers No Longer," Lawrence said. She also noted Tillery's challenge to participants: "More than inspired we have to actually do it. We want to make a difference and that is action. Each individual here brings us one step closer to peace in our world."

Alongside Tillery's leadership, Lawrence highlighted Buero's growing role in immigration advocacy, noting that she was elected advocacy lead and serves as Notre Dame Prep's representative on the Youth in Action for Immigration leadership team.

Together, their participation reflects Notre Dame Prep's longstanding commitment to forming students who not only understand the principles of their faith but are prepared to live them beyond the classroom. Whether through campus ministry, service, retreats or leadership opportunities such as the Pilgrims of Hope Immigration Awareness Immersion Retreat, students are encouraged to encounter the world with compassion, thoughtful reflection and a willingness to act.

As Tillery reminded his fellow students in his closing remarks, lasting change begins not simply with inspiration, but with the decision to put faith into action.

 

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

About Notre Dame Preparatory School
"At Notre Dame Prep, we inspire our students to become the best versions of themselves. We challenge them through an experience of academic excellence, focused on active, project-based learning. We invite them to explore a world of opportunities beyond the classroom. We guide them as they grow in spirituality within a community strong in its Catholic and Marist identity."

Notre Dame Preparatory School is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School's upper school enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame Prep's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDP is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.