‘God will make everything right’ SPM grads told

By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press

    “Greatness has been thrust upon you,” high school seniors deprived of the normal graduation celebrations were told Wednesday. “God … will make all things in your life … right,” Msgr. Francis J. Scollen was preaching at the baccalaureate Mass for the class of 2020 from St. Peter-Marian Central Catholic Junior/Senior High School in Worcester. He is pastor of St. Peter Parish and St. Andrew the Apostle Mission in Worcester.
The class did not attend the Mass, which Bishop McManus celebrated for them at St. Paul Cathedral, because of coronavirus-induced restrictions that were in place when the Mass was announced earlier this month. They could watch it live on the diocesan website or Spectrum cable TV, as graduates of the other Central Catholic high schools could do for their Masses. St. Bernard’s was Tuesday and Holy Name’s is Thursday.
    A few members of the St. Peter-Marian community had roles at the Mass: graduate Jolina McConville, whose voice rang out in the cathedral as she cantored; Megan Capurso, from campus ministry, who lectored; and Gemma Goranson and David Vilandre, senior class advisors, who read the graduates’ names as their photos were displayed online.
Bishop McManus congratulated them and acknowledged the disappointment they must feel at not being able to attend the Mass due to a pandemic that has radically altered the normal way of doing things. He blessed them, asking God to give them grace to follow Jesus and seek his will.
Msgr. Scollen said there are times we feel like “this is the end of the world,” as he did during a frightening time of civil rights unrest in the 1960s. He noted that this year’s seniors have had proms, sports and other gatherings postponed and St. Peter-Marian students are also losing their campus with the merger of their school with Holy Name.
People can grow - or not grow - in times of transition, he said.
He said the Ascension, celebrated that night and the next day, is a feast of transition; it commemorates Jesus departing from his disciples.
Msgr. Scollen spoke of the challenges of isolation, online learning and lack of togetherness that students have faced during the pandemic, and suggested that these experiences might lead them in a new direction. He said Pope Francis spoke of reconnecting with God, nature and family during this time.
When a 100-year-old from “the greatest generation” was asked about greatness, the man replied, “Greatness is thrust upon us,” Msgr. Scollen said. He told the graduates that greatness has been thrust upon them and noted that Scriptures read at the Mass spoke of being peaceful and having no anxiety.
He recalled a time years ago when he was angry about an inaccurate, accusatory story and asked Bishop Bernard J. Flanagan what they could do about it. The bishop acted so calm that Msgr. Scollen finally asked him how he could be that way. Bishop Flanagan said, “I believe in the end God will make everything right.”

To watch the Mass go to: https://worcesterdiocese.org/baccalaureate-masses

In Worcester, WCCA TV is re-broadcasting the Baccalaureate Masses from all three diocesan Central Catholic high schools. WCCA is Channel 194 on the Charter/Spectrum cable system and available in Worcester only. 

The times are:
Saturday, May 30, at 1:30 p.m.,  St. Bernard
Saturday, May 30, at 5:30 p.m.,  Holy Name
Sunday, May 31, at 12:30 p.m., St. Peter-Marian