Bishop visits Holy Spirit School

PEQUANNOCK  Holy Spirit School here was honored by a morning visit Nov. 6 from Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who began the day by celebrating Mass for students in grades 6, 7 and 8 in the socially-distanced environment of Holy Spirit Church.

“It was truly a privilege to have the Bishop visit Holy Spirit School,” said Filippini Sister Marie Antonelli, principal. “The students were in awe of Bishop’s sincere interest as he personalized each classroom visit with relevant comments, questions and observations about their curriculum and current day’s lessons.” Bishop Sweeney wore the Holy Spirit School uniform sweatshirt, which had been presented to him by students on his Sept. 13 pastoral visit to Holy Spirit Church. Sister Marie said, “The students felt Bishop Sweeney’s warmth and connection to them as he wore the uniform sweatshirt of their school.”

During the week of Nov. 1–7, the Church in the U.S. celebrated National Vocation Awareness Week. Bishop Sweeney’s homily addressed the students, engaging them in a dialog about their plans for the future. After hearing from the students about their possible career plans, Bishop shared his own career goals beginning in the second grade and continuing through seventh grade and beyond, of being a professional baseball player for the New York Yankees. Bishop Sweeney then spoke of the caring influence of his seventh-grade homeroom teacher, a religious sister, who caused him to think beyond his baseball aspirations by telling his class about a high school for boys who thought Jesus might be calling them to be a priest. Injecting a bit of humor into his story, Bishop Sweeney shared his youthful thought processes that perhaps he could be a professional ball player and then, after retirement, become a priest. “I even thought that maybe I could be a priest and a baseball player at the same time,” he recalled. Referring to his eventual ordination as Bishop of the Diocese of Paterson, Bishop Sweeney joked, “Sometimes God has surprises for us.”

The influential sister in his past advised her students to think about what they want to be when they grow up, adding, “But have you thought about what Jesus wants you to be when you grow up?” Bishop Sweeney told the students, “Jesus has a plan for you, and we should all ask Jesus in prayer to show us who God is calling us to be.”

Bishop Sweeney reminded the students that God gives us the gift of free will, and though each person is vitally important and was created for a purpose, God does not impose his will on us. He went on to define vocations not only in the religious context, but also more generally to mean finding individual strengths to do what God is asking of us. “God gives us every day as a gift. It’s not only about what you’re going to be five, 10, 15, 20 years from now, but day-by-day we should be trying to be the person that God has created us to be, that Jesus is calling us to be.”

Following the Mass, Bishop Sweeney was welcomed into Holy Spirit School by students of all grade levels, as he visited each classroom and spoke with the students about what they are learning. He was able to view firsthand the safety measures implemented in the school to keep students, faculty and staff safe during the pandemic. The day was memorable for the students by Bishop Sweeny’s genuine interest in their work, and his support of Catholic education. Each class was given a special blessing at the conclusion of his visit.