On Thursday, Oct. 12, nearly every seat in every pew of St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral was filled with students, educators and volunteers, all gathered from around Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean Counties for the annual Catholic Schools Mass with Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M.
The Mass was captured via live video stream, which is now archived here and available for viewing.
Hailing from 41 parish, diocesan and private Catholic schools from across the Diocese of Trenton, some 750 individuals children, teens and adults gathered with 45 priests and others to give thanks for Catholic school education and pray for all those involved in this critical ministry of the Church.
The day began with a brief presentation to the students on the Church’s Mission in foreign lands. The Mass opened with the Procession of Schools, in which students carried the banner from each attending school down the center aisle of the church. Bishop O’Connell addressed the students directly in his homily, urging them to recognize and value the role that faith plays in their educational experience. The Bishop also pointed out the close of the Centennial of Our Lady of Fatima, and urged the students to pray the Rosary everyday.
Other videos, a gallery of photos and reporting from the Mass can be found at TrentonMonitor.com.