Class of 2020

One day, the history books will have a chapter about the year 2020. Students will learn and study about the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected all nations of the world causing an unprecedented number of deaths and infections never seen since the Spanish flu in the last century.

One area that the pandemic has had an especially profound effect on was education. Worldwide, students continued to learn, not in a classroom but in their own homes to help control the spread of the disease.

History will reveal the unique experiences of the Class of 2020. Members of this graduating class have had an incomparable year of learning via videoconferencing while missing traditional events such as their high school prom, spring sports and visits to colleges they were considering attending in the fall. It all culminated with indoor graduation ceremonies in June having to be canceled due to state mandates.

Nevertheless, with the relaxation of some state mandates in July, outdoor graduation ceremonies were allowed to be held starting on July 6. The outdoor ceremonies must adhere to social distancing protocols and observe capacity restrictions in order to protect the health of students and families celebrating this milestone amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Around the Diocese, some schools held virtual ceremonies and drive-by events while other schools opted to host an outdoor graduation. All schools found obstacles in their path to plan ceremonies that would honor the class of 2020 but all have preserved and they are now on track with scheduled events to honor their graduating seniors.

Traditionally held every year in its school gym, graduation at DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne was marked with a virtual event on June 2 and an in-person diploma presentation on July 8 in the school parking lot. At the in-person ceremony, Bishop Sweeney was on hand to celebrate with the new graduates and Father Jared Brogan, new president of DePaul, was introduced to the school community. Students were seated socially distanced from one another. Graduates were allowed only two guests. Everyone was required to wear a mask.

Since mid-March, school buildings have been closed to the students in the state of N.J. Russell Petrocelli, principal of DePaul, said, “The students have showed tremendous resilience this year with their dedication and commitment to completing their high school education and recognized that the entire teaching staff was working to support them, educationally and emotionally.”

Honoring all these students was especially important to each of the seven high schools located in the Paterson Diocese. The graduating seniors have worked under sometimes trying conditions due to the pandemic to reach this special achievement and milestone in their lives and their high schools made certain their graduation day was a special event, no matter how long it may have taken to celebrate it.

Mary Help of Christians Academy in North Haledon will plan to honor its graduates on July 17 with an outdoor celebration (July 18 rain date). According to Salesian Sister Marisa DeRose, head of the school, the students opted not to have a virtual celebration because the seniors wanted to “walk across the stage” to receive their diplomas after four years of hard work. On the original graduation date, a drive-through graduation was held. Sister Marisa said, “Although the ceremony will be different and students have missed out on the traditional senior events, we have worked hard to make sure the class of 2020 receives the recognition they deserve.”

Delbarton School in Morristown will host its in-person graduation Aug. 2 following several social-distancing events such as a drive-by Senior Awards Ceremony on June 6, where members of the class of 2020 received yearbooks, awards, graduation materials and a Delbarton face mask. Pierce Lutz was valedictorian of the class of 2020 and Theo Coughlin was salutatorian for Delbarton School.

Lutz, who will attend Duke University in North Carolina in the fall, said, “COVID-19 took away most of the things I looked forward to during my final semester, such as lacrosse and baseball games, spring in the senior garden, my final golf season bonding with my teachers and classmates on a daily basis and more. Nevertheless, I look forward to reconnecting with my classmates at some point this summer for a memorable graduation ceremony.”

Coughlin, who is headed to the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, said, “Although COVID-19 took away the classic high school experience for a senior, the independence it forced from learning at home was a way to transition from high school to college without making the full jump.”

Morristown is the location of two other high schools in the Diocese. The Academy of St. Elizabeth in the Convent Station section of town, hosted a baccalaureate Mass on May 31, which was shared on social media for students and their families to view. The school also honored its Class of 2020 with a Kentucky Derby-themed fashion show. The school’s in-person outdoor graduation will be held on Aug. 1.

At Villa Walsh Academy in Morristown, its in-person outdoor graduation was held on July 11 for its 48 graduates. The school hosted a virtual senior awards ceremony in which a member of the junior class read a quote or poem chosen for her senior sister that captures the essence of their shared high school years.

Pope John XXIII Regional High School in Sparta has the largest Class of 2020 among the seven high schools in the Diocese with 164 students graduating this year. The school had a virtual ceremony on June 5 and the in-person outdoor ceremony for the 61st commencement exercise will take place on June 29 at 9 a.m. Bishop Sweeney will be present for graduation.

Morris Catholic High School in Denville hosted its graduation on July 15 on the school’s football field for its 95 seniors. Its students celebrated graduation virtually and with their families on June 4. Lawn signs and balloons adorned many photos shared by students to mark graduation with a collage on social media.

Sister Marisa talked about the perseverance of the Class of 2020 at Mary Help of Christians Academy. “The Class of 2020 did an extraordinary job staying focused on school work, AP exams and college acceptances during a very difficult time. Although there was a great sense of loss and sadness because of missing the last two months of their senior year, they rose to the challenge and accepted this new reality with grace, determination and optimism. The educators played a large part in helping the seniors remain serene, maintaining regular contact with them through ‘live’ classes, conferencing with them individually or in small groups and sending them video messages to celebrate them and their accomplishments.”