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May 7, 2020By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press
Faced with a continuing need to avoid public gatherings, high schools in the diocese are preparing to hold senior activities and commencement ceremonies in alternate ways.
This week, Holy Name, St. Bernard and St. Peter-Marian Central Catholic schools let seniors know that baccalaureate Masses and commencement ceremonies are being planned for the third week of May. St. Bernard’s will be May 19; St. Peter-Marian on May 20 and Holy Name on May 21. The ceremonies will be streamed online and aired live at 7 p.m. on Spectrum cable TV, according to the diocesan Office of Communications. Bishop McManus is to lead the three school communities in prayer as he celebrates a baccalaureate Mass for each school at St. Paul Cathedral. Immediately following each Mass, a ceremony will be held to “confer” diplomas on graduates. Student photos are to be displayed as the graduates are announced.
The Mass does not preclude individual schools from holding senior activities or commencements as gathering restrictions are lifted by the governor.
Michael J. Clark, associate superintendent, said the desire is to honor the graduates in person, but that he does not expect large gatherings will be allowed before the end of June, and there is little time before students are to leave for college.
“That’s why we came up with some sort of alternative,” he said; at least they can be honored at the virtual Mass.
He expressed hope that the schools’ administrators can plan ceremonies with the reception of diplomas for their own graduates, if social distancing rules allow for that.
St. Bernard Central Catholic
Besides the baccalaureate Mass, St. Bernard Central Catholic High School in Fitchburg is planning an internal commencement for late July, according to the principal, Linda Anderson.
“We are still planning on a community event where students will walk across the stage and receive their actual diplomas,” she said.
St. Bernard’s traditionally has special events with seniors before Memorial Day, she said. This year they have the following events that allow for social distancing, she said.
On May 20, Ed Collier, a photographer who offered pro bono services, is to have appointments at St. Bernard’s Activity Center for one senior and his or her family at a time. The seniors can don graduation caps and gowns, sports uniforms or whatever they want.
On May 22 parents, staff and alumni are to park their decorated vehicles at the Bernardian Bowl so seniors can drive by and receive their congratulations.
“We wanted to do something,” Mrs. Anderson said. “It’s not better than graduation,” but it lets seniors know people are thinking of them.
St. Mary High School
St. Mary Junior/Senior High School in Worcester is planning to hold an in-person service and ceremony in July or August in Our Lady of Czestochowa Church, according to Monica Campbell, co-principal. She said the seniors, along with Father Ryszard W. Polek, pastor, decided to do it this way.
St. John High School
Alex Zequeira, headmaster of St. John High School in Shrewsbury, said their graduation had been scheduled for May 17. Instead, at 11 a.m. on that day, seniors are to form a class caravan, driving through the campus, where faculty and staff will be waiting outside to acknowledge them, he said.
“We will treat that as their graduation date, but it will not be their graduation ceremony,” Mr. Zequeira said. “They do not want a virtual graduation.” So they are being surveyed about their preferences for a graduation ceremony sometime between August 2020 and June 2021. Ideally, this would include a Mass, which has traditionally been part of St. John’s graduations, he said.
At 8:30 p.m. on June 14 St. John’s is to hold a video celebration of the Class of 2020 at Pioneer Field, the school’s athletic field, Mr. Zequeira said.
“We’re going to create our own drive-in movie theater,” showing photos of seniors on a 40-foot screen, he said. He said the school has their freshman and senior photos, families can submit three photos, students’ colleges will be announced and recorded speeches will be featured. Families can tune in on their car radio.
Faculty and staff delivered lawn signs to each of the 206 seniors so families could display their pride for their graduating seniors.
Trivium School
Trivium School in Lancaster is planning to hold its graduation at 11 a.m., Aug. 1, outside the school, said William Schmitt, headmaster. If they cannot hold it then, they will not have a graduation ceremony, he said.
“They just so much wanted to do it with real people,” he said regarding students’ wishes for graduation.
As part of the graduation weekend Trivium seniors usually perform a play, Mr. Schmitt said. This year they plan to do a radio play, probably on May 29, the day before graduation would have been held, he said. He said they will also put it on in person in August if possible.
Mr. Schmitt said the students were really excited when he asked them to send Zoom shots to include in their yearbook; they saw their experience as different from the norm.
Immaculate Heart of Mary School
Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Still River plans to celebrate graduation at 11 a.m., June 7, in MacIsaac Hall, if quarantine rules are lifted by then, said Brother Thomas Augustine, head of school and a member of the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Mass would be at 9:15 a.m. in Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel on the grounds.
If quarantine rules are not lifted, the valedictorian, Margaret Duffy, and salutatorian, Kylie O’Brien, will come to the school to record their speeches, which will be emailed to students and parents, he said.
If quarantine rules are lifted, the junior-senior dinner with faculty at the Harvard Country Club can be held May 30, he said.
St. Thomas Aquinas School
St. Thomas Aquinas School in West Warren is planning to do what it normally does – participate in the Mass of the day, then have the graduation and an end-of-the-school-year cookout for all the students and their families, said Steven Rust, principal. They are aiming for their two graduates to celebrate their graduation on June 6 in St. Stanislaus Church hall.
Notre Dame Academy
Notre Dame Academy in Worcester is having each senior come with her immediate family at a designated time between May 26 and May 29, wear her cap and gown, walk across the stage and receive her diploma, according to Lisa Mancini, head of school.
“We will take pictures and video to compile into a special presentation for the Class of 2020,” and families can take traditional pictures on the campus, she said.
Notre Dame is planning a graduation ceremony/celebration on July 23, and the Junior-Senior prom on July 24, she said. If social distancing rules are still in place it will be a virtual graduation ceremony and the prom will be cancelled.
A virtual awards ceremony for the end of year athletic and academic awards is to be held on May 18 and a virtual liturgy on May 22, both via Zoom, Ms. Mancini said.
If the social distancing limitations are relaxed, the school is to hold the traditional “Beep Day,” where seniors beep their way out of the parking lot.
On May 1 faculty delivered lawn signs and T-shirts to each of the 39 seniors. In April, each senior received a delivery by Nothing Bundt Cakes to celebrate the 50-day countdown to graduation.
The school Facebook page featured the seniors and where they plan to attend college and lawn signs outside the school gates are also to list the colleges.
Holy Name
In a graduation-related event, Holy Name parents distributed lawn signs to the seniors’ homes, Mr. Clark said.
St. Peter-Marian
St. Peter-Marian is recording a video for their awards night, aiming to make it available May 19 on the school’s YouTube, said William Driscoll, principal. Teachers will film introductions for the awards, he said. There are academic awards and the highest honor, the Guardian Award. The valedictorian and salutatorian are also announced at that time.
If social distancing numbers change, St. Peter-Marian hopes to have a ceremony in the summer, to which students can come in their caps and gowns with their parents, he said.
