By Phoenix journalist Ella D’Addona ’19:
On Friday, September 14, Kellenberg Memorial hosted its annual Triumph of the Cross prayer service. Each year, Kellenberg and St. Martin De Porres Marianist School students gather to celebrate the blessing of the Cross and to help remember Jesus’ great sacrifice to save us from sin. This year, Bishop Barres of the Diocese of Rockville Centre attended the service, assisting Fr. Thomas Cardone, S.M. in leading the Triumph of the Cross service. Each student not only witnessed the blessing of the massive cross opposite the main staircase but was also given a personal cross necklace to be blessed by the Bishop. A group of Latin School C.R.O.S.S members gave the Bishop a gift of cards and prayers to thank him for attending the service.
Kellenberg students involved in the S.A.L.T. program assisted in the set up for the service by setting up tables and laying out snacks for after the conclusion of the service. Members of the E.T.V club set up speakers, microphones and cameras to allow the large crowd to hear the service over the roar of the nearby Meadowbrook Parkway and to stream the event on Kellenberg’s website.
The entire student body assisted by singing along with the Gregorian Consortium and praying the responses written on the Holy Card that had been distributed in homeroom that morning. “As everyone sang the opening songs I felt a sense of community,” senior Mackenzie Godley said.
The prayer service concluded with the gathered students praying the Anima Christi, while the scent of incense still hanging in the air. Students then began to line up at their homerooms’ tables to indulge in muffins and juice boxes. As the students filed back to their homerooms to continue the school day and the parking lot was cleaned up.
“The fact that this was my last Triumph of the cross made me a little upset,” remarked senior Liz Solferino, “But being able to celebrate my faith with my homeroom for one of the last times is a memory I’ll always remember.”