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Freshmen attend liturgy at cathedral

On Sunday afternoon, Sept. 7 the incoming freshmen of the three Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Belleville gathered in the Cathedral of St. Peter for the second annual Freshmen Mass.

Bishop Edward K. Braxton, the celebrant and homilist, welcomed family members, the principals, faculty and students from Althoff Catholic High School, Gibault Catholic High School and Mater Dei Catholic High School to the cathedral. He urged them not to think of their schools as “private” schools. They should stress that they are CATHOLIC schools. He said he invited the freshmen from the three secondary schools to gather at the Mother Church of the Diocese to give expression to the schools’ common commitment to providing excellent Catholic education for the students.

It was also an opportunity for everyone involved to pray that the Holy Spirit would guide them during the next four years so that they could all learn from Jesus Christ, the First Teacher at a Catholic school.
Bishop Braxton noted the special historic significance of the high school years of the class of 2012.

“As you begin your high school years you will witness an historic presidential election in which the American people will elect the oldest president ever and the first woman vice president; or they will elect one of the youngest presidents ever and the first African American. And as you prepare to graduate you will be able to help choose the next president by voting for the very first time.

“In 2010 you will witness the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council by Blessed John XXIII, which brought about the greatest changes in the Catholic Church in four hundred years.
“In 2011 the country will note the tenth anniversary of the sad and terrible events of September 11, 2001 in which terrorists attacked the United States and changed the world forever.

“Finally, on Jan. 7, 2012, the Diocese of Belleville will celebrate the 125th anniversary of its foundation by Pope Leo XIII in 1887.”

Turning to the Word of God the bishop, who had met many of the students during his pastoral visits to their elementary schools and at their confirmations, discussed the Scripture readings. He pointed out St. Paul’s words to the Christian community in Corinth, “the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom” and explained that the beliefs of the Catholic Church may seem like foolishness to some.

He expressed the hope that during the course of their Catholic formation the new high school students would imitate Jesus Christ, who will teach them “the foolishness of God.”

Bishop Braxton concluded his homily by citing a poem that states, “Entering high school is like looking out the window for the first time.”

“Growing up, you live in the relatively small world of your home, family, neighborhood, and elementary school.
“In high school you enter a much larger world. You make friends from completely different neighborhoods, your body matures, you prepare to learn to drive a car, you learn amazing things about history, science, mathematics, art, languages, politics, the Catholic Church, world religions, and much more. By seeing the larger world in this way you are “looking out the window for the first time.”

The bishop encouraged the freshmen not to waste a minute.
”The next four years will race by in a flash. Before you know it, you will graduate from high school, then college, perhaps marry and start families of your own; treasure these high school years. Open your minds to learn all you can. Open your hearts in prayer each day. Go to Mass, Communion, and confession often. This will help you to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. Prepare yourselves well for the future. You are the hope of the Church!”