On Friday, August 26th, Jesuit High School will be holding its first school-wide Mass of the year, the annual Mass of the Holy Spirit.

This particular Mass, a means of celebrating the new school year with hopes of igniting the Jesuit student body with the presence of the Holy Spirit, is a Catholic tradition that is held by Jesuit high schools and colleges at the beginning of their respective school years in order to set the foundation for the upcoming year year.

The Mass focuses around changes that have occurred along with the beginning of the school year, like the introduction of a new class of Freshman to the Jesuit tradition and  the progression of other classes through their own spiritual journeys.

The Mass is a Pentecostal Celebration, a “way of invoking the Holy Spirit [which] comes out of holy tradition,” said the Moderator of Liturgy Planning Committee Mrs. Annie Crew-Renzo.

Jesuit is a school of many traditions, and the point of this Mass is to center the student body with an enthusiasm for the spiritual ideals Jesuit prides itself on: cheerful service, fellowship in brotherhood, and a duty to God.

“There’s spirit… which we’ll be celebrating Friday night at the football game… And there’s spirit, that inner depth, that we celebrate during the Mass,” said Director of Campus Ministry Mr. Paul LeBoeuf.

The point of the Mass of the Holy Spirit is not only to strengthen the bonds of Jesuit students, but to strengthen the student body’s relationship with God so that they can move forward into another year of the Jesuit experience.