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Religion

Area Catholic schools unite for Mass

Catholic schools in Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties honor Catholic Schools Week at a shared service that the area's bishop hopes to hold annually.

By JIM ROSS
Published February 3, 2005

[Times photo: Adithya Sambamurthy] St. Anthony's sixth-grader Tyler McIntosh of Pasco County receives Communion from Father Eric Peters of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Citrus Springs. The Communion on Wednesday was part of a celebration at Bishop McLaughlin High School in Shady Hills for Catholic Schools Week, which runs through Saturday. Schools from Hernando, Pasco and Citrus counties participated.

[Times photo: Adithya Sambamurthy] St. Petersburg Diocese's bishop, Robert Lynch, and Sister Regina Ozuzu of Bishop Larkin Catholic school, hold candles as Mass begins at Bishop McLaughlin High School in honor of Catholic Schools Week.

[Times photo: Adithya Sambamurthy] Dr. Lou Whitaker, principal at Pope John Paul II Catholic School, speaks with Sister Eileen Marie Woodbury of Notre Dame Catholic School while waiting in line to start a special Mass at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School.

HUDSON - Each Catholic school celebrates Catholic Schools Week in its own individual way - with food, games, programs and so on.

Wednesday morning, the Catholic schools in Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties did something different: They joined together for a special Mass at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School.

Bishop Robert Lynch, head of the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg, was the main celebrant. This is Lynch's 10th year as bishop, and he said Wednesday was the first time during his tenure that the diocese's northern schools had gathered in such a way for Catholic Schools Week.

"I hope that we can make it an annual occurrence," he said.

The day was extra special for Citrus' sole Catholic school, Pope John Paul II. It served as the host school, and thus provided the student readers, altar servers, choir members and other assistants.

"I got to help the school as an ambassador," said Frankie Vascimini, 11, a fifth-grader at Pope John Paul II. Ambassadors distributed programs and greeted guests.

Older students helped the younger ones find their way around the unfamiliar high school. "I got to sit with the little kids. It was really fun," said Richelle Porambo, 13, an eighth-grader at John Paul II.

All Bishop McLaughlin students attended the Mass. The school opened in 2003 with about 50 ninth-graders. It is opening a new grade each year, so it now has ninth and 10th grades.

All the students (and many of their parents) from Pope John Paul II also attended.

Also there were the sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students from the other schools: Notre Dame Catholic School in Spring Hill, Bishop Larkin Interparochial Catholic School in Port Richey and St. Anthony Interparochial Catholic School in San Antonio.

Mass began at 10 a.m. inside the high school's Eleanor Dempsey Performing Arts Center. Each school principal carried a large candle, and a student from each school carried a special banner.

Joining Lynch at the altar were priests who serve in the three counties. The Rev. Richard Jankowski, from St. Scholastica and Pope John Paul II Catholic School, performed the Gospel reading.

"The commandment of love is the whole reason for these schools," Lynch said during the homily. "If there were more love in the world, there would be less war."

After the prayers of petition, Lynch asked everyone to pray for the pope, who was hospitalized Tuesday for treatment of the flu. Citing the pontiff's dedication to Jesus' mother, Lynch led a recitation of the Hail Mary.

Throughout the Mass, Pope John Paul II students led the congregation in song, with a special solo vocal performance by Jordan Farmer after Holy Communion was distributed.

After Mass, the high school hosted a lunch - held indoors, because of the damp and chilly weather - for the students and teachers. They munched on sandwiches, chips and cookies. Following that was a special concert back inside the performing arts center.

During the Mass, Lynch emphasized the value of Catholic education and the importance of the students, whom he called our most precious gifts.

Then he asked the children to do one thing: When you return home tonight, thank your parents for sacrificing to send them to Catholic school.

"We are a place that is full of hope for the future," the bishop said.

Pope John Paul II Catholic School hosted the Catholic Schools Week Mass, which was held Wednesday at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School in Pasco County. Assistant principal Mary Beth Geier was the primary coordinator. The following students participated:

Altar servers: Steve Geier (Grade 7), Brendan Clark (7), Tommy Geier (4), Nicole Clamer (4) and Jesse Chaffe (6).

Readers: Adrienne Braganza (Grade 8), Ashley Termini (7), Emily Teeter (6), Patrick Coletti (4), Rio Lumapas (3), Tommy Tchir (4), Morgan Slaymaker (3), Ina Lim (4) and Keeley Shields (5).

Gift bearers: Joey Arnold (Grade 2), Azalea Solis (1), Matthew Schanel (kindergarten), Mary Renovato (kindergarten)

Ushers/greeters: Members of the school's Ambassador Club.

Banner: Nicole Bruno (Grade 8).

[Last modified February 3, 2005, 01:07:17]