Mass of the Holy Spirit: A Parent's Perspective
By Ryan and Melanie Smith
On the evening of Friday, October 23rd, the students, faculty, board members, and families of Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Guadalupe gathered for the Mass of the Holy Spirit. This is an annual tradition for
schools in the Chesterton Schools Network, and yet another outward sign of the school’s mission to make the Faith the cornerstone of the education it is providing.
Our family was blessed to attend the Mass, at the historic Holy Family Catholic Church in Detroit, and what a special evening it was. We witnessed the faculty and board members take the Oath of Fidelity to the Magisterium of the Holy Roman Catholic Church - an incredible assurance to us as parents! The students, for their part, recited the Chesterton Academy Student Pledge, which includes a promise “to conduct myself with Christian dignity and honor at all times.” There is little more we could ask for from our young ladies and gentlemen. Mass was celebrated by the pastor at Holy Family, Fr. Paul Ward, who offered a homily rich with reflection and insight, for students and families alike. Fr. Ward offered his own inspirational testimonial about the evening:
“What a great joy it was for me to host Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Guadalupe last Friday, Oct. 23rd, here at my parish Holy Family in Detroit. The Lord enriched us all spiritually with his grace during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The beautiful voices of the choir filled my heart, and all our hearts, with warm devotion. I was impressed that they sang a Palestrina – keep up the good work! The friendliness and joy of the wonderful parents and teenagers really enlightened the evening reception. May God bless the families, students, faculty, staff and board of the Chesterton Academy, and keep you always faithful and with high standards of academics and discipline.” -Fr. Paul Ward, pastor of Holy Family, Detroit
We agree with Father’s sentiment! Among the students, who were dressed in their formal choir attire, excitement was in the air! This was a big night for them - their first performance, singing the Mass, for which they had been preparing for weeks. When they began to sing, there was every reason to believe that a polished, experienced group occupied the choir loft. As a parent, my heart soared at the sound of my two teen boys sharing the gift of sacred music with a congregation of believers. The voices of the students, united in worship, truly represented the other emerging dynamic of the night: the coming together of many individuals to create a family at Chesterton.
We’ve all come from different backgrounds and experiences, transferred from public, private, or homeschool, and chosen Chesterton for a variety of reasons. Now, after a summer family picnic, a ribbon-cutting luncheon, a fall pilgrimage, and seven weeks of classes, faces are familiar and friendships well-established. Chesterton isn’t just about educating the mind; it’s about forming the whole person, and relationships are an important part of that formation. When young people are educated in an environment of Truth and Charity, they grow and thrive together; this is what we are witnessing.
There has been a definite sense of “this is the beginning of something truly great,” in each of the experiences we’ve had so far, and the evening’s Mass and reception were no different. The future is bright for Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Guadalupe!