Landmark tradition explores the meaning of humility, calls for inspiration through prayer
Mass of the Holy Spirit Gallery
For nearly five centuries, the Mass of the Holy Spirit has represented an opportunity for Catholic schools to unite in prayer and collectively seek spiritual guidance for their communities, especially with regard to community members’ studies, interactions, and support for one another. What is now the University of Messina in Italy celebrated the first Mass of the Holy Spirit in 1548. The Prep celebrated the Mass for the 118th time on Wednesday inside the Ray ’67 and Dianne Carey Field House at the Mahoney Wellness Center.
“We’re all coming from different faith traditions and different spiritual backgrounds,” said Head of School Dr. Ed Hardiman P’19 ’21 ’26. “For some of us, Mass is part of our family and our experiences. For others, this is your first Catholic Mass. No matter our own tradition, no matter our own experience or belief in God, our questions about God or our doubts about God, it’s important to recognize that all are welcome here. This morning is an opportunity to pause, to pray, and to reflect on how we will live out our call to model respect, compassion, and servant leadership in our community.”
At the outset of the ceremony, Hardiman publicly thanked those members of the Xaverian Brothers community in attendance: Br. Robert Green, C.F.X., Br. Jim Connolly, C.F.X., Br. David Mahoney ’66, C.F.X., Br. Regis, C.F.X., Br. Paul Feeney, C.F.X., and Br. Bob Green, C.F.X. Wednesday’s Mass was accompanied by the voices of the St. John’s Prep Liturgical Choir.
Campus Chaplain Fr. Jim Ronan anchored his homily in the lessons he took away as a seminarian from an early parish posting in Peru more than four decades ago. He recounted the steep learning curve he experienced in his quest to be of some use to the indigenous people of the Andes Mountains, where he was placed. As he came to grips with the locals’ unique culture, modest means, dignity, and humility, he realized that only by letting go of his own self-importance could he help the people around him.
“When we’re filled with ourselves, when we’re filled with our own ego, when we’re filled with our own arrogance, our own pretense, our own artificiality, there’s no space in our hearts or heads to receive the gifts of God’s loving spirit,” said Ronan. “The fullness of life comes in the strength that flows from our heart. The Xaverian values that we cherish so much, all of them, seem to be able to flow out of us and become more possible [as a consequence of] our honesty with ourselves and others.”
Hardiman noted that by recognizing our own individual gifts and shortcomings, we can better appreciate those of others and come to understand that each of us is a unique expression of God’s love.
“The words we hear today are a call to action, a call to be welcomed around the table, a call to recognize our blessings, our brokenness, and a call to share our gifts and talents as servant leaders,” he said. “My prayer is that each of us will be open to this morning’s experience to listen and hear how God is calling us to love each other by building a community in which all are known, valued, and loved.”
In closing, Dr. Hardiman and Principal/Associate Head of School Dr. Keith Crowley publically congratulated two National Merit Semi-Finalists from the senior class: Brady Church ’25 and Dan Cahill ’25. About 1.3 million juniors from more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the PSAT exam during their junior year. This year’s pool of 16,000 semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S high school seniors who took the exam. Church and Cahill are now in contention for one of more than 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be awarded next spring.