On Wednesday, February 11, Cathedral High School offered students and staff members the chance to participate in a special prayer service. Members of the Cathedral community gathered together in the WAC to listen to Father Geoff Mooney’s homily-like speech, then participants made their way to the grotto on campus to end the service.
With the current divisions happening in the nation, Cathedral High School set a time aside that allowed students and staff to take a deep breath and listen to what the Catholic Church has to say about the respect and love of one another and every individual.
The idea to set time aside was initially brought up by student members of the Latino Student Union and Black Student Union. Aquetzali Ponce, class of 27’ and member of the LSU, said, “It wasn’t until Fr. Geoff said something, that he really motivated me a lot to push to make something happen. I really loved how he told the story he told about the Eucharist in the Archdiocese of Chicago being denied at an ICE detention center. The story really motivated me to push for a certain message out there and to show that the Eucharist is for everyone, even those in a suffering state.”
Students and staff gathered in the Welch Activity Center shortly after their 6th period to begin the prayer service. As soon as everyone was situated, Mr. Gring, Chief Mission Integration Officer, opened the service with a short overview of the upcoming event. Shortly after, Fr. Geoff stepped on the stage and read a gospel from the book of Luke.
Megan Howell, English Educator, said, “What we learn about our humanity and what’s unique to us as Catholic Christians is that we do care for the marginalized. The concept of marginalization is the reality that because everyone’s so focused on competing, everyone is so focused on being the best and the smartest and the richest and the coolest. People become so focused on that, that by their very nature of pushing to occupy what they perceive to be the central place, they are shoving everyone by the wayside.”
Fr. Geoff reminded the community that we as Catholics should follow the example of Jesus. He said, “Jesus identifies with the good Samaritan, the ones who were written off, excluded, and even despised. Despised because of their culture, because of their traditions, because of the things that were different and not understood. The Samaritans were hated and avoided and Jesus says ‘ I come as the good Samaritan.’” In retelling this story, Fr. Geoff advises the community to identify with all those who suffer.
