On December 2, dozens of homeschoolers and their families gathered at Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral for the Mass for Homeschool Families presided by Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama.
Reflecting on the Gospel (Matthew 9:27-31) Bishop Luis reminded attendees, “We need to live in faith and know that God is our light and salvation. The challenge that we face every day is to recognize the gift that the other has and to look for the best that each person has to give you.”
Cynthia Moreno Wallace, mother of two children and the lead organizer of the event, said, “This event is so important for the homeschool community, and we are very grateful to have the support of the diocese, our dear Bishop Zarama and all the holy priests throughout our diocese who help us.
"We have been preparing for the last few months, praise be to God. Everyone has so many gifts and talents…. We had beautiful altar servers who are homeschool students, and a homeschool mom came and shared her beautiful voice. I can’t even count how many families helped to host this wonderful event,” Wallace concluded.
Maura Mayorga Wengenroth, who attended the Mass with her husband and four children, including a 2-month-old baby, said that she started doing homeschool because she wanted the faith to be central in her kids' education.
“It was a beautiful Mass and gave each family so much encouragement to see other families who are living the faith. And seeing the support from the Bishop is important,” said Wengenroth.
After Mass, volunteers from the cathedral offered tours, and organizers gave each family a gift -- a St. Benedict medal carved from wood. The families then met outside and enjoyed snacks, including chicken nuggets donated by a local PDQ franchise owner for the event. The weather was an ally of the celebration and helped children of all ages enjoy the beautiful day.
