St. John de Matha Day Mass and Celebration

As a result of the pandemic, the DeMatha community was not able to fully celebrate the St. John de Matha Day Mass like normal. March 14 marks the first time since 2019 that the DeMatha community was able to celebrate St. John de Matha Day in person with a Mass. Last year, while there was a celebration, it was just an online prayer service that was broadcast over Facebook Live. This year the community, including Trinitarians, Students, Faculty, Staff, and board members, were all able to gather together to celebrate the Holy Eucharist and to honor the school’s patron saint together as a DeMatha community.

The Mass was presided by Fr. William, Fr. James, and all of the other Trinitarian priests and brothers present. The Mass opened with the hymn “All the Ages Will Revere You” by the Voices of DeMatha, the school’s choir. The homily, delivered by Fr. Albert, was about the legacy of St. John de Matha and that of the Trinitarian Order, saving and helping the persecuted, specifically those held captive. He spoke about how we should not forget this legacy and how we should be aware of the persecutions and religious discrimination that are going on to this day.

After the Prayers of the Faithful, the Liturgy of the Eucharist began. The gifts were prepared, and after the other rites and prayers were said, the Eucharist was distributed. For the Communion Song, the Voices of DeMatha did an excellent job singing “Amazing Grace,” which was followed by the prayer after communion.

At this point in the Mass the St. John de Matha medal was presented to the The Trinitarians of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Province and was accepted by Fr. Damian Anuszewski who represented them there. Fr. Damian then spoke on behalf of the Trinitarians of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Province. In his speech, he spoke of the history of the school and the honor and heritage of the Trinitarians. He also spoke about those involved directly in the school, saying on behalf of all the Trinitarians that were at the Mass, that “the foundation of the school back in 1946 was a genuine leap of faith.”

After the plaques were passed out to the other Trinitarians there, Dr. Daniel McMahon presented the DeMatha community with words of advice in a speech that he wrote. He said that “we can only question our private self about crucial matters of identity or calling so that we will know ourselves better.” He later went on to say that we must go into ourselves and look for identity, to find a calling, so that we may have meaning and be able to contribute to society.

Recognizing the crisis in Ukraine, the Voices of DeMatha learned the Ukrainian national anthem in the Ukrainian language. Fr. James made some remarks about the war and the suffering of innocents, and how we must think about others past our own communities. After this, the Voices of DeMatha sang the anthem movingly and did a spectacular job singing it in Ukrainian.

As the DeMatha community celebrates its first St. John de Matha day Mass since 2019, it is important to remember our roots as a school and to take the advice of the many wise people here like Dr. McMahon and to look to the future of this One DeMatha community.