School Year Theme!

Today was the opening Mass for St. John the Baptist School in Hanover. What a great memorial to celebrate, that of Saint Pius the Tenth. Saint Pius was elected pope in 1903 and he died on August 20, 1914. As I told the students and adults present, God willing, later this year, we will witness the canonization of two popes, Blessed John XXIII and Blessed John Paul II. These popes made an impact in the church and in the world during their time as the Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. Following Mass, I went to the school building and blessed the students, teachers, and the classrooms. I gave a little lesson about Saint Pius the Tenth and then reminded the students of his motto as pope, "To Renew All Things in Christ!" I told them that is a wonderful theme for our school year because we are called to renew all things in Christ, especially our lives and our faith. We need to do what this commentator writes, "Saint Pius X worked tirelessly to build God's house, the Church, into a community of true faith and reverent worship in Jesus Christ. His motto was 'to make all things new in Christ'" (Magnificat, 302). Let us follow the example of Saint Pius the Tenth and may we be assured of his prayers and intercession for us so that we can live our faith to the fullest and truly renew all things in Christ.