Today was one of the most special days of the year as our school community gathered to celebrate Mary’s Day at Cathedral Prep, carrying on the legacy of a time-honored tradition that was started at Villa Maria Academy. It’s a celebration to honor Mary, the Blessed Mother and patroness of our school, by recognizing her spirit of courage, inspiration, and service.
Additionally, we honored the Blessed Mother today with a blessing of the Mary statue from the Villa campus in its new home on the Cathedral Prep campus. After months of intentional consideration over what location would be the most special and prominent, the statue was placed in an existing niche in the building, above the school entrance in the West 9th Street courtyard. Although the alcove was a part of the original construction, there’s no record of anything ever occupying that space, as if it were made for her to watch over us as we brought the two school communities together.
Cathedral Prep Chaplain Fr. Jason Feigh was joined by President Kevin Smith and the Class of 2023 May Court as he prayed that while Mary is raised over the building, her intercession will continue to guide us daily.
The theme of today’s ceremony was the Magnificat, Mary’s humble ‘yes’ to trust in God’s will, even when it was difficult. We prayed that all of us, especially our seniors, will demonstrate the strength needed to answer God’s call with the same courage of Mary.
Ten members of the Class of 2023 were nominated to serve as the May Court based on individual character, moral integrity, and commitment to faith. Henry Abercrombie ’23, Luke Brown ’23, Olivia Buckel ’23, Cecelia Campbell ’23, Adam Gavio ’23, Hayden Hutchinson ’23, Mally Mourton ’23, and Kyan Snider-Mills ’23 were chosen along with Queen Escort Anthony Frisina ’23 and May Queen Emily Consiglio ’23.
Almitra Clemente Clerkin ’81VMA spoke to the students at the first assembly of the day, and a Mary’s Day dance was performed by Alexis Colburn ’23, Tori Spearman ’24, and Kylie Bruno ’25. Then according to custom, the students enjoyed cinnamon rolls during the distribution of heartfelt Mary’s Day letters to and from classmates. The crowning service took place inside Saint Peter Cathedral with Nevaeha Hudson ’23 and Nikole McLallen ’23 singing “Hail Mary: Gentle Woman” and Emily Morphy ’23 singing “Ave Maria.” We would like to extend a huge thank you to Campus Minister Emily Grenci for organizing the day’s events!
We are proud to share with you that Mary’s Day lives on as a ceremony that reflects the faith, community, and true spirit of the Cathedral Prep family. 🕊
