Senior Farewell Mass: A beginning, not an end

“Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.”

This excerpt from the Concluding Rites at Mass was not anything new to us. However, this time at our Senior Farewell Mass, it seemed as if it held a whole new meaning. It seemed even more literal than before since we are preparing to leave the school that most of us have attended for six years.

The Mass was a bittersweet event for most of us. Though we have been ready to move on to college for a while, at this moment we realized, “Wow, we might actually miss this place.” It’s almost as if the fact that we were leaving did not seem to hit us until we walked down the aisle and passed our tear-covered parents.

It was quite fitting that our Senior Farewell Mass fell on the feast day of St. James the Lesser. As Father Colten stated in his homily, St. James was one of the twelve Apostles that changed the world forever. Twelve men. If twelve regular guys can change the world with the help of Jesus, then I have no doubt in my mind that 80 or so seniors can do just the same with His assistance.

As a member of the Class of 2018, I also can attest to the fact that this ceremony was not a commencement ceremony. In fact, I echo Father Colten’s notion that it was more so a “commissioning,” as he said. Our class is full of human beings who are more than capable of changing the world; in the past 6 years, I have been given the pleasure of getting to know future successful surgeons, lawyers, business owners, and teachers. These people are kind-hearted, intelligent, God-fearing, and hard-working.

With that being said, it would be in your best interest to not only pray for the Class of 2018 but to also keep an eye on us. We are going to do great things in this world, all thanks to the help of the teachers who prepared us, the parents who raised us, the friends who encouraged us, and the God who loved us and always will.

Story Written by Elizabeth Van Horn