“I can think of no place I would rather be right now than with all of you,” Bishop Edward Malesic told the St. Mark School community in Cleveland’s West Park neighborhood as he prepared to celebrate Mass on April 28. Father Adam Zajac, pastor, concelebrated the liturgy.
“It really excites me to be with a Church that is so young. You are disciples of Jesus. You give me hope. You lift me up. Stay close to Jesus and he will always stay close to you,” the bishop told them.
He thanked them for the invitation to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the parish school, noting its founders wanted to give the children the best and a place where they could learn, love and practice their faith. “Today we want you to be disciples of Jesus who succeed in this life, but who also are able to become rich in the Catholic faith and way of life,” the bishop added.
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It takes many people to form a good school, he explained, including volunteers, benefactors, teachers, staff and others. “But remember, boys and girls in the lower grades, and young men and women in the upper grades, without your attention, your discipline, your respect and your desire to be you best, this school would not be as great as it is. This school, I am so happy to say, is authentically Catholic. God comes first. Make friends with God.”
The bishop reminded the students to faithfully attend Sunday Mass, to pray every day, to pray for each other and to love each other while keeping God at the center of their school.
St. Mark School is helping them to form not only their minds and bodies, but their souls, he said. He congratulated their parents for sacrificing to send them to St. Mark. “Your parents want you to be saints. We all want you to be saints someday, which is the most important goal of life. Jesus came to ask you to follow him all the way to heaven,” Bishop Malesic said.
He mentioned two saints: St. Catherine of Sienna, whose feast day it was, and Blessed Carlo Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15 and was to have been canonized on April 27. His canonization was delayed by Pope Francis’ death on April 21.
He told the students that St. Catherine, who died in 1380 at age 33, accomplished a great deal in her short lifetime. He said she was smart, spoke the truth, spoke with kindness, wrote about loving God and spent her life serving others.
“One of her favorite lines to quote is: ‘Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire,’” he said.
As for Blessed Carlo, the bishop said he liked going to church as a child and asked his parents to take him. He loved learning about God. He eventually converted his mother. He loved video games and using his computer to do good for others. In fact, he used the internet to share stories about Eucharistic miracles because he wanted people to know that Jesus is really present at Mass in the bread and wine.
“He said, ‘To always choose Jesus, that’s my life plan.’ He stayed close to Jesus and will soon be proclaimed a saint. That’s good advice. Stay close to Jesus. Make that your life plan, too,” the bishop said.
He told the students that Blessed Carlo said this: “All people are born originals, but many die as photocopies,” which means each of us is unique and has special gifts.
“Don’t try to look like the world. Look like the person God wants you to be. And know that every saint is unique. They each had a special purpose in this world … Don’t wait to be saints in heaven. Be saints for God today. Do good today. Love God today. Take care of each other today. Stay close to Jesus today. Be a saint today,” the bishop said.
At the end of Mass, he invited Karen Cocita, St. Mark principal, and her husband to the front of the church, where she received a vase of flowers. She is retiring next month after 50 years in education, including 14 as principal at St. Mark.
Afterward, the bishop visited the school’s STREAM (science, technology, religion, engineering, arts and math) classroom to learn about what students are doing. The building used for STREAM and the preschool program previously served as the parish convent. He stopped by the preschool room, where students sang a song and prayed with him. In the main building, he visited with the eighth graders and answered their questions, then stopped by to check on the second graders who will be making their first Communion this month.
Before leaving, Cocita presented Bishop Malesic with a gift bag of glassware created by the students.
“I am so proud of you as young followers of Jesus. God is proud of you, too. And again, congratulations on 75 years as a Catholic school,” he added.