Worship & Prayer

"The hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth." (Jn 4:23-24)

Our Chaplaincy Team

Cathedral is blessed every year to have a group of dedicated priests and deacons from around the Diocese of Springfield who come to our school to celebrate Mass and hear confessions. These priests are important and welcome members of our faith community!

Our Chaplaincy Team for the 2008-2009 school year consists of:

Fr. Vic Carrier Holy Cross, Springfield
Msgr. Chris Connelly Vicar General; rector of St. Michael's Cathedral
Fr. John Connors St. Mary of the Assumption, Ludlow
Fr. Bob Gentile Blessed Sacrament, Holyoke
*Fr. Howard McCormick St. Michael's Residence, Springfield
**Deacon Bill Toller Holy Cross, Springfield
Fr. Bob White, CSS Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Springfield
Fr. Marek Stybor, OFM Conv. Basilica of St. Stanislaus B.M., Chicopee
Fr. Michael Zielke, OFM Conv. Basilica of St. Stanislaus B.M., Chicopee

*retired
**permanent deacon

Sacraments

The Sacraments of Penance and Eucharist are central to a Catholic life, and these two Sacraments are offered on a regular basis at Cathedral

Mass is celebrated regularly in our Chapel with various Religious Studies classes. Scheduled Mass days will be posted on the monthly Campus Ministry Updates, and all are invited to come pray.

The Sacrament of Penance is offered to the Cathedral faith community during the Lenten season. Over 25 priests from around the Diocese visit CHS to hear confessions during our Lenten Penance Services. It is also possible for students and faculty to receive the Sacrament of Penance in our Chapel during the Advent season.

We gather as a school community to offer praise and worship to God in our monthly school-wide Masses. For the 2008-2009 school year, we will be celebrating the Mass on the following days:

Mass of the Holy Spirit - September 9

Thanksgiving Liturgy - November 25

Immaculate Conception - December 8*

Catholic Schools Week - January 28

Ascension Thursday - May 21*

*Holy Days of Obligation

We have liturgies for specific classes as well, such as the Junior Ring Mass at Holy Name Church on October 16, and the Baccalaureate Mass at St. Michael's Cathedral on June 4, where the senior class will gather one last time before their graduation to give praise and thanks to God.

Liturgical Ministries

Every liturgy at Cathedral is accomplished with the help of both the students and faculty. There are various ways in which students and faculty can offer their assistance, and each way enhances the dignity of and reverence toward our liturgies.

Campus Ministry encourages both students and faculty to serve these roles not only at Cathedral, but also in their home parishes, contributing to the faith of our greater diocesan community.

Ushers

Ushers assist in calling the school to prayer. They pick up students and faculty from their classrooms and lead them to our auditorium, which is transformed into our worship space for the day. Ushers also direct people during the liturgy at the distribution of Holy Communion.

Altar Servers

Altar Servers assist the priest in whatever way during the liturgy. Any student who altar serves in their parish is welcome to serve at Cathedral. Also, any student who has never served before is welcome to experience training through our office.

Liturgical Choir

Students and faculty who wish to lead the school in song can join the Liturgical Choir, which sings at all school-wide liturgies. If you play an instrument (such as guitar, piano, flute, violin), you are more than welcome to join as well! The Liturgical Choir meets monthly to review music for upcoming liturgies.

Lectors

Lectors assist in the liturgy by reading aloud the Scripture readings and the Prayer of the Faithful during the Liturgy of the Word. Any student who serves as a lector in their parish is welcome to serve at Cathedral. Also, any student interested in being a lector can be trained through our office.

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

Faculty and students who have been trained has Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC) through the Diocese of Springfield can assist the priest in the distribution of Holy Communion at our liturgies.

Prayer Services

Along with our liturgies, prayer services also take place at Cathedral. These services occur outside of the context of a Mass, and can involve either school or a particular class year.

Prayer Services taking place this school year (2008-2009) include:

Freshman Class Bible Blessing - October 17

Advent/Christmas Lessons and Carols- December 19

The Imposition of Ashes - February 25 (Ash Wednesday)

Living Stations of the Cross - April 9

Closing the school year - extinguishing the class' Christ Candle

Both students and faculty are involved in these opportunities for prayer, and they are often great occasions for spiritual growth.

Morning Prayer

Every morning at 8:00am, a member of Cathedral's faculty, administration, or student body leads the school in a brief reflection and prayer. This reflection could cover a variety of topics: the previous or upcoming Sunday readings from Mass, a particular saint, an aspect of our faith, or the Liturgical seasons we celebrate as a Church.

Afternoon/Closing Prayer

Every afternoon at around 2:25pm, a member of Cathedral's faculty, administration, or student body leads the school in a prayer at the close of the day. We remember in prayer all Catholic schools in the Diocese of Springfield, naming two particular schools each days.

Catholic Devotions
Rosary

The rosary is a devotion in honor of the Virgin Mary. The word rosary comes from the Latin rosarium and means a garland of roses or rose garden, the rose being one of the flowers used to symbolize the Virgin Mary. It is a truly biblical form of prayer - after all, the prayers and meditations that compromise it come mainly from the Bible. (Taken from http://www.catholic.com/library/Rosary.asp)

The rosary is prayed in our Chapel at 12 noon every school days. It will also be encouraged in Religious Studies classes, especially during the month of October, the month of the rosary.

Stations of the Cross

Praying the Stations of the Cross is a popular devotion and both the Eastern and Western Churches. It was developed during the Crusades when the knights and pilgrims began to follow the route of Christ's way to Calvary. This devotion spread throughout Europe and was promulgated by the Franciscan friars in the 14th and 15th centuries.

Eventually, the Stations of the Cross became an important catechetical tool, and the popularity of this devotion inspired some of the greatest examples of medieval Christian art. The visual representations, combined with the prayers and meditations, help to deepen our understanding of the Way of the Cross, which will be of great spiritual benefit for Catholics of all ages. (Taken from http://www.wf-f.org/Stations-Cross.html)

Eucharistic Adoration

Eucharistic adoration is the act of worshiping God as He is present in the consecrated Eucharist. Since the Last Supper, when Jesus broke the bread and distributed the wine, saying, "This is my Body" and "This is my Blood," Catholics have believed that the bread and wine are no longer merely baked wheat fermented grape juice, but the actual living presence of the Second Person of the Trinity.

Spending time before the Blessed Sacrament, in prayer and devotion, is exactly the same as spending time before the living God.  Adoration occurs whenever someone kneels in front of a tabernacle that contains the Blessed Sacrament, genuflects toward a tabernacle, bows before receiving the Blessed Sacrament at Mass or, in a more focused way, when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for adoration. (taken from http://www.uga.edu/~cc/liturgy/adoration.htm)

Our Chapel is always open for personal prayer and adoration, and provides opportunities for formal Eucharistic adoration on every First Friday of the month throughout the school year.  For more information, see Mr. V.