In the first few days of the Octave of Easter, Bishop Timothy Senior shared messages of joy and hope with students at Lancaster Catholic and Delone Catholic High Schools during separate visits on April 8 and 9.
Initially set to take place during Catholic Schools Week in January, the visits had been postponed due to inclement weather and ultimately became an appropriate opportunity to celebrate the joy of the Resurrection.
“It is a great joy to be with you here at Lancaster Catholic High School, especially during this first week of the Easter season,” the bishop told the LC community on Wednesday morning as they filled the gymnasium for the liturgy.
He told the students that there is no greater power than Christ’s love.
Reflecting on the Gospel reading of the two disciples encountering Jesus on the road to Emmaus after the Resurrection, Bishop Senior said, “With everything that has happened…these two men are unburdening their hearts to each other. In the midst of it, Jesus begins to walk with them. He invited them to speak about what’s on their hearts. He wants to hear what they are struggling with…. This is a reminder that when we invite Jesus to stay with us, he always does.”
“Jesus listens to us,” the bishop said, telling the students, “There is no burden that is too great that Jesus will get bored with us.”
During the consecration, the student body knelt as one, demonstrating their reverence and belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. It also echoed the bishop’s counsel in his homily, calling the students to “look for the Lord to be walking with us today” and to “try to see him in the breaking of the bread.”
After the Mass, Bishop Senior met with several alumni and community members regarding upcoming projects at Lancaster Catholic, which has completed several state-of-the art projects in the past five years. Aimed at bringing Catholic education to a new generation of students, these efforts have included a multi-media learning center, a Catholic student life center, a STEM innovation center and a new auditorium.
Thursday morning, Bishop Senior traveled to Delone Catholic in McSherrystown, again expressing his joy in celebrating Mass for the school community just days after Easter.
He opened his homily by telling students the connection between their school and the Resurrection.
“Catholic schools are about forming young people in the faith – intellectually, physically, emotionally and especially spiritually. At the heart of that spiritual formation is Jesus, who suffered and died and rose from the dead for each of us,” he said.
“The Resurrection changed the apostles radically. It gave them a whole new lease on life, a new energy,” the bishop said, turning to the day’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles, where Peter addresses the crowds amazed by the crippled man who had been cured.
“Peter tells them, ‘You put to death the Author of Life. He forgives you. He died for you. He wants you to know newness of life, that the sins, the tragedy, the sadness of life don’t define us. Rather, we’re defined by our relationship with a loving God who rose from the dead.”
“This newness of life gives us hope, a hope that does not disappoint or let us down,” Bishop Senior told the students, “because Jesus will be there for us and with us.”
Delone is embarking on a strategic plan, “Timeless Excellence: Our Next Chapter.” The effort will bridge the gap between Delone’s deep spiritual roots and the modern skills students need for their careers through a lens of service and leadership.
The strategic plan also places a major emphasis on the physical campus, ensuring that the school’s environment matches the caliber of its students with academic innovation and trade skills, modernized facilities and technical infrastructure, ethical leadership and spiritual vitality, and long-term sustainability.
Learn about these two high schools at www.lchsyes.org and www.delonecatholic.org, and find out more about Catholic schools in the diocese at www.GoCatholicSchools.org.
(Photos by Chris Heisey and Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness.)
By Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness
