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Loyola Celebrates the Start of a New School Year with the Mass of the Holy Spirit

The Loyola Academy community celebrated its annual Mass of the Holy Spirit on the football field on Friday, August 20, to mark the beginning of the 2021–2022 school year. The Mass of the Holy Spirit is a longstanding tradition among Jesuit high schools and universities, dating back to 1584. It provides students, faculty and staff a moment to pause, pray and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the upcoming year. This year’s Mass was especially important as it was the first time the school community has been able to gather as a whole in nearly two years.
Luke Hughes '23 began with the Call to Worship: "We gather to pray for the Holy Spirit's inspiration and guidance in living out our mission to be women and men for others. In this Ignatian Year, we are reminded of God's ongoing invitation to conversion. By embracing this invitation, we embrace our God who calls us to act justly and to love tenderly. We ask for the grace today, and throughout this year, to see all things new in Christ." 

During the Homily, Loyola Academy President Rev. Patrick E. McGrath, SJ, reminded students that they are being called to something more. 
 
“You belong to the Jesuit tradition. You are being invited to step into the Jesuit way and to be transformed, to see the world differently, to hear a call to service, to civil conversation and debate that leads to learning. The God who created everything created you. And we’re sisters and brothers to each other.
 
We believe that we’ve been called to something great—the magis, the more—to hear God constantly calling you to more generosity, compassion, life, and joy. Where others would divide, seek to bring together. This is our mission, our vocation. We believe that we are not alone. Ever. We labor together to build an even better world, but start by building a better Loyola.
 
You are Ramblers. You have the privilege and opportunity to enter into this tradition, this long line of Ramblers who have come to this place to experience something extraordinary.”
 
Fr. McGrath asked the senior class to serve as leaders, juniors to show others the way, sophomores to claim this space as their own, and freshmen to enter more completely into what lies ahead.  
 
“We’ve been called to something extraordinary. We believe.”
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