That’s the idea that kicks off this compelling look at priests serving as high school chaplains in Arizona. It’s a message more and more young people need to hear.
Holiness is possible.
That’s the message Jesuit Father Kevin Dilworth left Xavier College Preparatory’s 280 seniors with at their May 3 Baccalaureate Mass. He explained to the college-bound that signposts mark every journey.
“Those signposts can be seen in the faces of those who have accompanied us along the way,” Fr. Dilworth said. “When we begin high school, we look to our teachers as signposts. We continue to look to our parents, teachers and siblings as we discover the world around us.”
Yet every human journey involves rocks and hills and sometimes boulders and mountains, Fr. Dilworth said. That’s when many Catholic high schoolers look to priests as their signposts.
They’ve turned to their high school chaplains seeking guidance with personal relationships, class work and career choices.
“If I needed anything, if I’m having a rough time, I go see him,” senior Abigail Simon said of the school’s chaplain. “It’s really cleansing.”
She remembers Fr. John Muir being especially helpful by praying with and over students after the accidental death of Robby Mayasich, a senior at nearby Brophy College Preparatory. He was hit by a car in February during a charity relay race.
Simon also appreciated his ability to tie modern things such as the latest coffee fad or Facebook into his homilies. His youthfulness also made him easy to relate to, she said. Simon described Fr. Muir as outgoing, friendly and welcoming, something she notices in other priests.
“Priests are always happy. I understand why because they get to hold the Eucharist,” Simon explained.
Having Fr. Will Schmid at Seton Catholic Preparatory High School in Chandler helped senior Kelsey Rodriguez have a deeper respect for the Eucharist. She admitted that she once judged her Mass experience by the quality of the homily.
Fr. Schmid helped her see that a homily isn’t required during daily Mass; it’s the Eucharist that matters.
“The Eucharist is why we go to Mass because He died on the cross for us,” Rodriguez said.
Fr. Schmid hopes his presence on campus shows students the joy of knowing God’s truth. He enjoys being able to teach yet also celebrate Mass, cheer on athletics and support the fine arts.
Fr. Schmid spent the better part of one school day on the golf course in April with a few Seton students during the annual Serra Golf Tournament to benefit vocations.
“I just try two show them that the Catholic Church isn’t as crazy as the world makes it out to be, that the teachings make sense and that the faith is worthwhile and it matters,” Fr. Schmid said.
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