On the cover: Mario Ramirez, a sixth-grader at St. Elizabeth of Hungary School in Altadena, with friends during class. When Ramirez was shot outside his home on Valentine’s Day this year, his classmates did the only thing they could: pray. Starting on Page 10, writer Steve Lowery caught up with this “special” group of middle-schoolers ahead of the Christmas holiday about how Ramirez’s surprising recovery helped them discover the power of prayer and friendship.