Nearly 300 alumni, family members and friends of deceased members of the Immaculata High School community, Somerville, gathered in prayer for their loved ones at the 20th annual Spartan Memorial Mass held Feb. 25 at the high school.
The Mass was celebrated by Msgr. Joseph Celano, Church of the Immaculate Conception pastor and director of the parish’s two schools. Family members of recently deceased members of the Immaculata community carried blue and white carnations to the altar in a touching tribute.
Many of those who have passed on were remembered in gifts to the school’s Guardian Angel Scholarship Fund, which makes possible tuition assistance for deserving current students. Principal Ed Webber, himself a graduate of the high school, remarked that the halls of the school are alive with the legacies of those who have gone before through the prayers and generosity of alumni, family members and friends.
Nearly 800 Immaculata family members were remembered by name in the Mass program. The school’s music program provided vocal and instrumental accompaniment.
In his closing remarks after the Memorial Mass, Terry Kuboski, ‘69, retired faculty and Hall of Fame ’23, recalled that, throughout the years, “This Mass has evolved into an annual gathering of alumni, and families, mourning spouses, parents, teachers, siblings and classmates. We look to the right or left of us and see individuals, new to grief or seasoned veterans of loss. We are Spartan Prayer Warriors, gathered to draw strength from each other. The readings, the homily, the liturgy and closing remarks speak to our faith, providing inspiration for navigating this difficult path.”
Submitted by Stacey Geary, ‘91, IHS Marketing and Communications assistant.