By Rose O’Connor | Correspondent
Milestones are meant to be shared. As young adults graduate from high school and leave for college, the military or a trade apprenticeship, their loved ones mark the occasion with gifts and well wishes.
Parishes throughout the Diocese of Trenton also rejoice in the accomplishments of their young members, bestowing gifts, blessings and prayer as they leave for higher vistas.
In St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel, graduates were honored the first weekend in June at all of the Masses.
“We invited all graduates – eighth grade, high school, college, grad school, trade school, special services school. We invited them to Mass to receive a special blessing,” Father Garry Koch, pastor, shared.
“It’s a nice opportunity to bestow on them the blessing and to also acknowledge them for their milestones,” he added.
In July, the parish will also recognize those parishioners heading off to college.
“We also have a blessing for those going to college or the military,” Father Koch explained.
In addition to sending the students back to school with prayers and best wishes, “we also send them with care packages with gift cards and toiletries,” the pastor said.
St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, celebrated their teen grads and youth group members on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, June 23.
“We celebrated our St. Timothy Award winner, our high school seniors, and also celebrated the Youth Group-LIFT team members for all their hard work and service to our parish and community. At the end of Mass, Monsignor [Sam Sirianni] asked [them] to join with him in a procession with the Blessed Sacrament to commemorate Corpus Christi. It was very moving,” shared Jeanne Marinello, parish youth group coordinator.
Fellow Monmouth County parish, St. Leo the Great, Lincroft, celebrates a special Mass for students, many of whom are leaving home for the first time. “We celebrate our Back to College Mass the Sunday before the Feast of the Assumption,” Mark Russoniello, pastoral associate for parish faith formation said. “There is a blessing of parents by their children and a blessing of children by parents,“ he added.
St. Leo the Great also sends the students off with care packages to accompany them on this new journey.
“We make care packages that contain the prayer card of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, patron of young adults and a copy of the book, ‘How to Stay Catholic in College’ as well as some toiletries,” Russoniello outlined.