The Class of 2018 Celebrates Baccalaureate Mass

On Thursday, May 31, the Class of 2018 gathered with their families in the Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola to celebrate Regis High School's 2018 Baccalaureate Mass. Photographs from the Mass are posted below.

In his homily, Rev. Daniel K. Lahart, SJ, president of Regis, urged the graduating seniors to trust in this slow work of God. "To your parents, your baptism may seem like only yesterday, and with graduation from Regis now, you have become men whose future is wide open, a future yet unknown. Embrace it. Cherish it. Be the salt of the Earth, be the light of the world. No matter what you do, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify our Heavenly Father. As we say – be a Man for Others."

The Mass program highlighted many of the service missions, retreats, and events which the graduating class participated in over the course of their four years at Regis. Below is a reprint of those highlights.

Every Tuesday morning, seniors volunteer at service sites of their own choosing. In the third trimester, seniors have the option to spend four full days each week volunteering in addition to Tuesday morning. The Class of 2018 volunteered at the following service locations throughout the academic year:

Ascension School, Bayside Manor Assisted Living, School of the Blessed Sacrament, Cassidy’s Place (Assoc. to Benefit Children), Central Park Early Learning Center , CHIPS Soup Kitchen & Shelter, Catholic Near East Welfare Association, Corpus Christi School, De La Salle Academy, Gillen Brewer School, The Graham School (Assoc. to Benefit Children), Hospital for Special Surgery, Immaculate Conception School, Jan Hus Presbyterian Church and Neighborhood House, KIPP Infinity Charter School, LSA Family Health Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Merricatt’s Castle School (Assoc. to Benefit Children), Mount Sinai Hospital, NYC Health and Hospitals, Our Lady of Pompeii Catholic School, Our Lady Queen of Angels School, Our Lady Queen of Peace Soup Kitchen, Part Of The Solution (POTS), PS 75 Emily Dickinson School , Sacred Heart Convent, Search and Care, St. Ann School, St. Anthony Medical Clinic, St. Augustine School, St. Benedict’s Day Nursery, St. Brigid’s School, St. John’s Bread and Life, St. Joseph’s School, St. Paul’s School

During the third trimester, all seniors return to Regis on Tuesday afternoons for a series of Social Justice Seminars held in collaboration with the senior class from Dominican Academy. Focused around the central themes of Catholic Social Teaching, guest speakers were invited to present on a series of topics including: Housing and Gentrification in New York City; Protecting Migrants and Refugees; Working for Peace and Justice through the Arts; Preservation of the Environment; and the Criminal Justice System.

From retreat leaders to canned food drive organizers, the class of 2018 played a role in a variety of service activities throughout the 2017-2018 academic year. Below is a summary of those service trips, fundraisers, and events:

Retreats Emmaus Retreat, , Freshman Retreat Leaders, Quest Retreat Leaders, Senior Retreat, Silent Retreat

Events & Activities Archcare, Elderly Services (TCC) , Habitat for Humanity , Midnight Runs, March for Life, NYC AIDS Walk, Nursing Home Visits, Regis and Rikers, Rhythmic Regis, Sandwich Making and Dinner Service for NY Common Food Pantry, School Liturgy Volunteers, Special Olympics, St. Ann’s School Christmas Party , St. Baldrick’s Foundation, Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Bake, Tutoring at St. Stephen of Hungary School

Service Trips Ecuador (Working Boys Center), Jamaica (Mustard Seed Communities), Kibera (St. Aloysius Gonzaga)

Fundraisers & Donation Collections Adopt-a-Family for the NYRA Belmont Racetrack Chaplaincy, Amnesty International, Great Ignatian Challenge (canned food drive), Jamaica Mustard Seed, Jan Hus (clothing donations), Little Sisters for the Poor, Midnight Run, Project Cicero (used book collection), Regis for Rikers, Ronald McDonald House (toiletry drive), St. Aloysius (Kibera), St. Baldrick’s Foundation, St. Vincent de Paul Society (Houston hurricane relief), Stocking Stuffer, Unidos Fund (Puerto Rico hurricane relief), World Aids Day