As the Mass of the Holy Spirit was approaching and none of my friends were planning on attending, I thought it would be interesting to do a little research as to why this may be.
So I decided to interview a few students to find out their plans for the morning.
The majority of the non-attendees planned to sleep in or enjoy their free time in another leisurely way.
Some of the answers I received were: “I don’t have anyone to go with,” said one student.
Another student said, “Well, I won’t feel ‘up to par’ after Tuesday night’s festivities.”
A third student answered, “I don’t even know what the Mass means, so I don’t care to go.”
Other students planned to take the opportunity to get some extra class work done or prepare for an upcoming test or quiz.
Last week, I overheard one of my professors telling a student that when she went to Creighton (about 40 years ago), every student had to go to the Mass of the Holy Spirit. They even enforced attendance by giving each student a card, which had to be punched at the entrance of the church.
I think it can be said that some students do not know the significance of the Mass of the Holy Spirit, so they don’t go. Honestly, I was unsure of the exact meaning myself until I did a little research.
According to Saint Mary’s College of California, the “Mass of the Holy Spirit” is a yearly celebration of the new academic school year. It is a time for students and faculty to gather as one and pray for another blessed and successful year.
This finding did help in my decision to attend the Mass, and I am glad I did.
As I walked through the doors of St. John’s, I was pleasantly surprised to see all of the pews filled with people, as well as the additional seating that was set up.
From the decorations to the choir, the Mass was very enjoyable. It was evident a lot of hard work and sweat was put into the ceremony, and it certainly showed.
Even though I was alone, I still felt at home as I entered the church. The smiling faces and warm “hellos” were well received. Every part of the service flowed smoothly. There was definitely not a lack of participation from the crowd, and this made it worth it for me.
If the Holy Spirit were ever present, it was then. I was reminded of how fortunate we all are to be attending such a great school in which we, as a community, can come together and express our strong faith.
While I do not believe students should be forced to attend Mass like in years past, I think those who did not attend should consider doing so next year.
Think of the service as a time to welcome the new students and faculty and staff of Creighton University.
Now, that doesn’t sound so bad.