Our school is rooted in our faith, and we’re not going to let a global pandemic stop us from showing it. On Tuesday, September 15, we had our first all-school Mass, and it looked a lot different from years before.

The freshman, juniors and seniors participated in mass in the Fallon Family Center with Fr. Mike Lyndon from Sacred Heart in Troy, while the sophomore class went to the PAC for a separate mass in order for students to be more spread out. In the gym, the juniors sat on the left bleachers under the mezzanine, freshmen sat on the opposite side and the seniors sat on chairs all spaced out on the floor.

“I like how the social distancing kept me safe, but we were still able to enjoy mass and practice my faith as a school,” junior Lauren Reddy said.

Although parents and other alumni could not come and physically participate in the mass, there was a Facebook livestream where they could virtually watch. Mrs. Lang, Fr. Patrick, and a small group of peer ministers helped plan the masses and ensure social distancing. Everyone worked together to make sure that people stayed safe.

“This would not have been possible without the support of administration and the wonderful maintenance crew. Of course, the students and faculty and staff who helped make sure we socially distanced were awesome,” campus minister Shelley Lang said.

The mass reignited the fire of faith in our school community. Fr. Lydon’s homily about his high school experience and how it shaped his faith life was a huge hit. He related the readings to our lives, allowing our the St. Dominic to leave that mass more renewed and closer to God.

The first mass with COVID-19 was a success, and if we keep up with social distancing, we can continue to keep everyone safe and grow closer to God through our faith throughout this abnormal school year.