Article by Maggie Friel, class of 2014:
On March 5, Ash Wednesday, the freshman class began their school day by attending the Lenten Prayer Service in the Auditorium. The students received ashes before starting on their pilgrimage to the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City. With Tobit leading the way, the class of almost 600 marched through the streets, bearing wooden crosses, along with teachers, Marianist Mentors, and even police escorts.
When they arrived at the museum, the students split into groups by homeroom and continued the eventful day. On the agenda were the Stations of the Cross, a tour of the museum, and a viewing of the new movie, Jerusalem.
The Stations of the Cross took place in the lobby of the museum, giving a witness to the faith. The stations were read aloud by a group of students and were interspersed with music performed by Mr. Basile, while all the students joined in and sang along. The tour of the museum was informative, fun, and interactive, as the freshmen learned about everything from the first ever flight to the moon landing. The movie, Jerusalem, was the main focus of the day. The short film depicts the lifestyles of distinctly different people, living in the same city. The film focuses on three women: one Catholic, one Jewish, and one Muslim. Through watching the movie, one could put into perspective both the similarities among the religions and the differences that make each unique.
Senior Mackenzie Freeman, Marianist Mentor for homeroom 9B, said of the pilgrimage, “It was a great way for the freshmen to come together as a class to take a stand for their faith.” The students enjoyed themselves, while getting in touch with their faith lives. The walk back to school was filled with high spirits, and the freshmen were eager to discuss their take on the events of the day.