Diocesan eighth grade students meet in unity

Intermountain Catholic

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Each eighth grade class from throughout the Diocese of Salt Lake City brought a food basket and a monetary gift for the Cathedral of the Madeleine's Good Samaritan Program, which provides a sack lunch is provided for those in need seven days a week.

SALT LAKE CITY — Eighth-graders from all the Catholic schools in the Diocese of Salt Lake City met as one at the Cathedral of the Madeleine for Mass Nov. 9.

The Mass was concelebrated by Bishop John C. Wester of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, Father Joseph Mayo, Rector of the Cathedral of the Madeleine; Father Colin Bircumshaw, pastor of St. Ann Parish, Salt Lake City; and Father Robert Moriarty, pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish, Kearns. Deacon Silvio Mayo and Deacon Lynn Johnson assisted at the altar.

"The theme of our liturgy today is unity. We are one in Christ" said Bishop John C. Wester in his greeting. "Let us remind ourselves of our own baptisms when we baptized into the church and became sisters and brothers in Christ.

"I am so pleased and very excited to welcome all of you eighth graders here today," said Bishop Wester. "You are the oldest and leaders on you campuses.

In the Strategic Plan for Catholic schools, Horizons of Opportunities, there was a discussion of how to bring students together. It was decided to bring the eighth-graders together for Mass with the bishop at the Cathedral, the bishop’s church, and it is hoped this will become an annual event. Each class brought a gift basket and a monetary offering for the Good Samaritan Program offered through the Cathedral of the Madeleine, that provides a sack lunch to those in need.

Bishop Wester explained to the eighth- graders the feast intention for the day was the dedication of the St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome, which is the cathedral of Pope Benedict XVI. His first title is Bishop of Rome. We honor the pope by honoring the mother church of all Catholics around the world.

"Unity ties in beautifully to what we are about as church," said Bishop Wester.

Bishop Wester asked the students what their fears were when other were picking teams, or having parties. Together they concluded it would be not being picked, or not getting invited.

"You feel left out and isolated," said Bishop Wester. "This is getting at the heart of the mystery that Christ is present with us," said Bishop Wester. "God, who loves us so much, understands how afraid you are of being alone, being left out, being abandoned. So God sent his son, Jesus Christ, to come to gather us together. Jesus says to everybody ‘God loves you,’ without exception. But we human beings seem to be very good about excluding people. Sometimes it is because we do not like them, we are prejudiced, or because we are careless. But whatever the reason, it does not feel good to be left out.

"So when you come to church, particularly a Cathedral church, one of the first things you should be aware of is the theme of unity, all gathered together. That is why you see the bishop’s chair, which is a sign of his presence in the diocese and a sign of unity. All the people are gathered around one altar and they share the one bread, and from one cup. Though there are many people, at the same time, you become one in Jesus Christ. That is the message and symbolism of the church. We receive the body and blood of Christ, and then we go forth to be instruments of unity and peace."

Students from the various schools participated in prayer intentions. Regina Farley from Blessed Sacrament School read the first reading, and Sydney Richards from Our Lady of Lourdes, Salt Lake City, read the second reading.