By Christina Leslie | Staff Writer

The Monsignor Donovan High School graduating class of 2014, their parents, family and friends gathered one last time in St. Joseph Church, Toms River, June 9 to look back upon four years of quality Catholic education and look forward to a life of continued service during the combined Baccalaureate Mass and graduation exercises held on the sprawling Toms River campus.

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., served as principal celebrant and was assisted by concelebrants Father G. Scott Shaffer, pastor; Msgr. Kenard J. Tuzeneu, pastor, St. Mary Parish, Barnegat; Father Garry Koch and Father Carlos Aguirre, parochial vicars of St. Joseph; and Father Fernando Lopez, parochial vicar, St. Aloysius, Jackson.

In a homily punctuated by frequent applause from the congregation, Bishop O’Connell observed that it was a “wonderful coincidence” for the graduation to have occurred but a day after such a life-changing event for the apostles: Pentecost. “Go forth in faith with all you have learned; make a difference by being different, being Catholic, being just, being holy,” the Bishop implored the graduates dressed in blue and white gowns. Reminding them God will be with them always, he continued, “That truth is the heart of your faith.”

Bishop O’Connell charged the graduates with the concluding words from President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inaugural address. “‘With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help,’” he quoted, “‘but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.’”

Following the Mass, valedictorian Claudia Dabrowski admitted “the future is mysterious and fickle” in an address thanking her Polish-born parents for their sacrifices in sending her and her two sisters through Catholic schools. “All of us were filled with wonderful potential,” Dabrowski observed, then concluded with the words of St. John Paul II delivered in his native Polish tongue: “The future starts today, not tomorrow.”

Academic, athletic and community service awards were presented to deserving seniors, then Father Shaffer and principal Dr. Edward G. Gere distributed the 182 high school diplomas to the graduating class. Outstanding achievements credited to this year’s class included student Alexander Paggi’s accepting an appointment to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy for full tuition and stipend with a five-year service commitment to the Coast Guard upon graduation. Also, the class had six seniors sign NCAA Letters of Commitment to play at Division I schools.

A father cradling a bouquet of flowers for his favorite graduating senior explained his family’s desire to give her a Catholic high school education. Kyle Hoeler noted he and his wife Patti “both attended MonDon for high school and enjoyed it,” and decided their daughter Kaylee Christine would benefit from the school’s structure and morals as well.