Cardinal Gibbons High School, John Paul II High School, St. Thomas More Academy and the Association of Roman Catholic Homeschoolers (ARCH) graduated over 400 students this spring. Commencements were held May 26, May 25, June 1 and June 8, respectively.
During a Mass held this graduation season, Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama told students that life was waiting for them.
“Before you were ever formed, God knew you. When you were in your mother’s womb, God named you. At your birth, God’s breath filled you with life,” he said. “Today we celebrate how God’s grace has worked in your lives.”
The bishop urged graduates to remember everything they learned in school and, most especially, from their parents.
“Use what you have learned, and you will see how life is so great. Every challenge in your life will help you grow to see the great gifts that you have, to move on in life,” he said.
Bishop Luis Rafael spoke to parents as well. He urged them to comfort any fears their graduates may have by reminding them to have confidence in the divine presence in their lives. That presence, he said, will strengthen them to walk in the footsteps of Jesus as they move through life.
Some notables from each school/organization:
Cardinal Gibbons High School, Raleigh (a diocesan school)
- 365 graduated from CGHS
- Baccalaureate Mass was held at Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral and graduation was held at Reynolds Coliseum on the campus of N.C. State University
- The school continued a new tradition it began in 2018. The Senior Supper, a meal which is prepared and served by educators for graduating students, is a time to celebrate friendships and reflect on shared memories.
John Paul II Catholic High School, Greenville (a diocesan school)
- All 10 graduates are Catholic
- The class was offered nearly $800,000 in scholarships
- One student, who attended Annunciation Catholic School for grades K – 8, drove approximately two hours each way to attend JPII and complete a K-12 Catholic education
St. Thomas More Academy, Raleigh
- Forty-eight students graduated
- The Class of 2019 represented the 17th graduating class in school history
- One student will attend the new House of Formation at Belmont Abbey
ARCH, Diocese of Raleigh
- Ten graduated high school
- Parishes represented included St. Catherine of Siena, Wake Forest; St. Joseph, Raleigh; Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Rocky Mount; St. Luke the Evangelist, Raleigh; St. Raphael the Archangel, Raleigh; and St. Andrew the Apostle, Apex
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