By Rose O’Connor | Correspondent

The energy was high and positive and enthusiasm for Catholic education was evident as almost 800 Catholic elementary and high school students, teachers, principals and parent chaperones gathered in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, for a Mass celebrated by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., April 29.

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To read Bishop O'Connell's homily, click here.

To view a video of the Catholic Schools Mass, click here.

“There’s no occasion that gives me as much joy as to be able to be with you, the young people of our schools throughout the Diocese of Trenton,” Bishop O’Connell said, as he greeted the administrators, teachers and students who filled the cathedral and served as representatives from 45 school communities. The Bishop also acknowledged the two dozen pastors and priests who were present and concelebrated the Mass.

Hosted by the Diocesan Office of Catholic Education, the Mass featured great student participation.

“It’s such an honor to be here,” Joann Holler, a sophomore from Monsignor Donovan High School, Toms River, shared before the Mass began.

“I came in eighth grade and got to carry the banner,” Holler said, recalling how it has been the tradition that all the schools in attendance were invited to bring their school banners and flags to the Mass.

Students also brought forth symbols that reflected Catholic education, including a Bible, a laptop and a globe.  For the liturgy, students participated as acolytes, readers and in the Presentation of the Gifts. The music ministry from Monsignor Donovan High School, Toms River, provided the music.

In his homily, Bishop O’Connell referenced a phrase found in Hans UrVon Balthasar’s work, “Prayer:” “What you are is God’s gift to you. What you become is your gift to God,” explaining that comes to mind any time he thinks about the ministry of Catholic education. Reminding students of their God-given gifts and talents, the Bishop stressed, “Think about yourselves and your own lives, in whatever grade you are now. Think about your talents and the things that you can do really well: hopefully your studies; perhaps sports or singing or school plays; perhaps service projects, whatever it is. Everybody has something they are good at doing…”

 “Catholic schools teach us that everything is a gift from God: our lives, our minds, our souls, our hearts, our emotions, our talents, and every gift has a special purpose also given to us by God,” Bishop O’Connell continued. “We celebrate our Catholic schools because they are God’s gift, the Church’s gift to us and we, in turn, are God’s gift and hope and blessing to our world,” he added.

A highlight of the gathering came after the reception of Holy Communion when it was announced that Catherine Ziesmer, a senior in St. Rose High School, Belmar, had been named The Catholic University of America’s Most Rev. David O’Connell Service Scholarship recipient. Since 2011, the four-year full scholarship has been presented to a senior currently attending a Catholic high school in the Diocese who will go on to pursue studies in the Washington, D.C.-based university. The scholarship recognizes the student for embodying Bishop O’Connell’s dedication to service as well as honors Bishop O’Connell’s 13 years of service as CUA’s 14th president.  

On hand to present the award to Ziesmer was Joseph Krzyko, admissions counselor at CUA.

Recalling then-Father O’Connell’s tenure as president and his dedication to service, Krzyko said that Ziesmer “has similarly embraced service in her daily life, including helping to found the junior St. Vincent de Paul Society when she was a student in St. Rose Grammar School, Belmar.

Ziesmer’s participation in service began at a young age when she would visit and watch her mother help to care for her grandmother who lived in a nursing home.

Ziesmer also had an opportunity to see how the poor lived during the time she was being treated for a genetic disorder in the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. En route to the hospital, Ziesmer recalled journeying through “some pretty tough neighborhoods” and seeing how the poor lived. That vision stayed with her as she got older and eventually served as the inspiration for her wanting to begin a junior St. Vincent de Paul Society as a student in St. Rose Grammar School, Belmar.

More to come on Catherine Ziesmer's story of service.

JoAnn Tier, diocesan superintendent of Catholic schools also announced that the Trenton Diocesan Council of Parent Teacher Associations was named one of four 2014 Distinguished Home and School Association Award winners in the United States by the National Catholic Educational Association. The award, which was presented at the NCEA convention held April 22-24 in Pittsburgh, acknowledged the work of the PTA in providing $20,000 in funding for teachers in the diocese to attend special needs workshops in Georgian Court University, Lakewood.

“Faculty members are able to meet the diverse learning styles of students with special needs as well as the preferred learning styles of all students through this partnership with Georgian Court University,” Tier said.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, Asbury Park, also received recognition at the Catholic Schools Mass for their Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program. This after-school program was selected to be a feature program for the 21st Century Community Learning Center Virtual Showcase by the new United States Department of education.

Catholic school officials and students appreciated the opportunity to come together to worship and celebrate their Catholic education during the Mass with Bishop O’Connell.

“It’s quite an honor to be here at the Cathedral where there is so much history is great,” said Joseph Stillwell, a seventh grader in Our Lady of Sorrows School, Mercerville, as he gathered with his classmates and friends.

Lucas Capone, an eighth grader in St. Catharine School, Spring Lake, and St. Raphael School, Hamilton, students Marissa Vizzoni, sixth grade, and Melanie Flowers, seventh grade, echoed similar sentiments.

Looking to his peers, Capone reflected his belief that the Mass helps to build their spirituality and relationship with God “as we prepare to take a new step into our lives into high school.”

Vizzoni said she enjoyed having a “new experience” by celebrating the Mass in the Cathedral and was surprised to see the large number of students from around the Diocese in attendance. She added that she enjoyed being reminded by Bishop O’Connell that “we all have gifts.”

Recalling that her first visit to the cathedral was more than a year ago when the Bishop celebrated a Mass for the choosing of a new pope, Flowers said she was happy to return for the Catholic Schools’ Mass. She noted that an added bonus of the day was seeing fellow CYO basketball players from other school in attendance.

Catherine Zagola, principal of Pope John Paul II Regional School, and Cecilia Chludzinski, campus minister of religious education in St. Raphael School, expressed appreciation for Bishop O’Connell’s willingness to bring the entire Catholic school community together for a Mass each year.

“I chose children who had never been to the Cathedral before to attend this Mass,” said Zagola, as she looked at the 10 students in grades fifth through eighth who attend the Willingboro-based school. “This is an opportunity for my students to see students from other schools in our diocese. I think this is an event that can give them a broader sense of our diocesan church.”

“To be with the Bishop, the leader of our Diocese is profound,” chimed Chludzinski. “To me, this Mass shows how much he values Catholic education, so much so that he wants to bring all of us who are in Catholic schools, together as a diocese.”