Celebrating a Mass for Blessed Sacrament School in Washington that included a May crowning by second graders who had recently received their First Holy Communion, Bishop-elect Gary Studniewski encouraged the students to have a special love for their moms, and for Mary, their spiritual mother in heaven.
The pastor of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, who will be ordained as an auxiliary bishop of Washington on July 7, said that Mary, like their earthly mothers, loves and cares for them.
“While Mary was on earth, she was the mother who gave birth to Jesus, the Son of God, and it was her mission to love and care for Him. Once her earthly mission was finished, she was assumed into heaven, and her Son gave her another mission, to be the mother of the Church, to be the mother of all of God’s children, to pray for them, to intercede for them, to love them with a mother’s heart. That’s what Mary does every day,” he said.
At the May 28 Mass, Bishop-elect Studniewski told the children that Mary “is a powerful mother who is closest to her Son. She can help us. She’s someone we can always turn to. She will always hear us and respond to us with a mother’s heart.”
Blessed Sacrament School’s second graders had received their First Holy Communion on Mother’s Day weekend, and the Mass with the bishop-elect later in the month was their first chance to receive Communion with the whole school community, along with family members. The girls processed into the church wearing white dresses, and the boys wore suits. Some carried poles connected to cut-out stars labeled with the words “Lead,” “Succeed,” “Serve,” “Pray,” “Learn” and “Love.”
As the Mass began, Bishop-elect Studniewski noted that May was a fitting month to honor Mary, because it is a time when “outside everything is growing and bursting with new life. When Mary gave birth to Jesus, everything was new… Everything was changed forever.”
In his homily, he emphasized how God gives everyone a precious gift when they are born.
“That gift is your mother. Try not to let any day go by without thinking about your mom and all the ways she shows her love for you,” he said.
Blessed Sacrament’s pastor said that mothers likewise receive a precious gift when their children are born, a mission to “love this child always, take care of this child.”
“God gave your mother a beautiful baby – you, and gave her the mission in life to care for you, and that’s what your mom does every day,” he said.
Bishop-elect Studniewski told the students that on the day of their Baptism, they became a member of God’s family, “a son or a daughter of God the Father. You became a member of Christ’s Church, which makes us all brothers and sisters.”
And he added that on the day of their Baptism, they gained Mary as a spiritual mother.
“We thank God for the precious gifts of our mothers, and particularly today, for our mother in heaven, Blessed Mary,” he said.
After his homily, a group of the second graders offered prayer intentions, including, “Mary said ‘yes’ to God, may we always say ‘yes’ to what God asks of us… Mary served God all her life, may we serve God in all that we do… Mary had faith in God, may we have faith even when times are difficult.”
During the May crowning, the girls and boys walked up to the altar, and each placed a rose in a vase in front of the statue of Mary.
Then second grader Claire Warren crowned the statue of Mary with flowers, accompanied by classmates Quinn Connolly and Dylan Kelly.
Later as the Mass was ending, Bishop-elect Studniewski thanked the First Communion class “for doing such a beautiful job in helping us to honor our Blessed Mother.”
Msgr. Robert Panke, now the pastor of St. John Neumann Parish in Gaithersburg, will begin serving as Blessed Sacrament’s new pastor on July 8, the day after Bishop-elect Studniewski will be ordained as a new auxiliary bishop of Washington.
Bishop-elect Studniewski’s voice seemed to break slightly as he told the Blessed Sacrament School community and their family members that he had tears in his eyes thinking about how that was his last May crowning and school Mass at the parish.
“I’m already looking forward to coming back and celebrating Confirmations (as a bishop) with you. The fifth grade has first dibs. They already asked me to come back. I do look forward to making future visits as you invite me back for special occasions,” he said. Then he added, “You know I love you. God bless you all.”
As the Blessed Sacrament School community sang the closing hymn, “Immaculate Mary,” the priest processed from the altar, following the second graders dressed in their First Communion finery.
Afterward, Bishop-elect Studniewski said he is moved to distribute First Communion to children. “The longer I’m a priest, distributing Communion moves me,” he said, adding his appreciation for the second graders who reverently received Communion that day at the school Mass.
“I love their sweetness, their innocence, their devotion,” he said.
