Higher Liturgy Attendance: But at what Cost?

Administration+executes+a+plan+to+discourage+skipping+mass+by+placing+an+academic+class+before+Liturgy.+Students+reactions+have+been+mixed+and+not+positive+in+the+way+intended.+Students+have+been+left+feeling+out+of+the+loop+in+many+decisions.

Matthew Korniczky '24.

Administration executes a plan to discourage skipping mass by placing an academic class before Liturgy. Students reactions have been mixed and not positive in the way intended. Students have been left feeling out of the loop in many decisions.

Confusion was shared throughout all grades on campus when they were greeted with a wonky PowerSchool schedule that showed a Red One class occurring before liturgy. But that confusion was washed away with interest when that schedule that was seemingly a mistake was revealed to be the official plan for all liturgy days going forward.

This plan was obviously put forward to encourage higher student participation in mass and discourage students from skipping liturgy simply because it is the first class and it is easy to do so. But on this specific liturgy day, the switch caused seventh period classes to be cut in order to make room for an additional speaker.

“We ended up spending an unnecessary amount of time with our red one class, and on that day we lost our seventh period too, it was rough,” says student Reese Elazar ‘25. Some see the change as a shallow move by administration to force students into participating.

But some students do not see this move as shallow, furthermore they think the change was a positive and thought out decision that will benefit the student body’s spiritual life. Annie Mara ‘25 says that, “It will encourage people to come to mass and enjoy it.” Something that many students were not able to do during liturgy’s disappearance in the past years.

Although the switch was not well received by some, it is one that will help forge community between students even if they do not realize it. Whether that community is found through group participation or shared tiredness though is out of administration’s control.