St. John Paul II High School young men take part in Exodus 90 challenge

Young men from St. John Paul High School prepare for the Exodus 90 challenge. These juniors and seniors will be led by their teachers, Matthew Heeder and Benjamin Nye, through the Exodus 90 program, a 90-day spiritual exercise for men based on the pillars of prayer, asceticism and fraternity. 

Beginning on Jan. 17, they commit to praying daily, reading scripture, abstaining from snacking and sweets, abstaining from Television, video games, and unnecessary internet use. They will also fast on Wednesdays and Fridays, meet weekly with their Exodus 90 brothers, and check daily with their accountability partner. 

"This is something that we have wanted to do for the last couple of years," Nye said. "Mr. Heeder was the one that finally made it happen. He texted me over the break and said, 'now is the time, let's do it.'" 

Shortly before they agreed to propose it to the students, Father Zachary of the Mother of God from the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity gave a talk to the young men at their senior retreat. The talk inspired the students to take up the Exodus 90 challenge.

According to Nye, one of the seniors said he "wanted to fail more," and by this, he meant that "if he wasn't failing, then he probably was not trying or pushing himself," Nye said." He saw that need to push past our culture of lukewarmness and mediocrity, and Exodus 90 provided a vehicle to challenge him and his friends to do just that."

"We are very proud of them and hope that this is an experience that leads to great spiritual growth for each of them," Nye said. "Please take time to pray for a successful journey for each of these young men."