The following is an edited version of a talk I gave to the graduates of our Catholic diocesan high schools during their virtual graduation ceremonies. Please, share it with public high school graduates in your family or neighborhood. Those young women and men are as important to me and to our church as are the graduates of our Catholic high schools.
Congratulations! Class of 2020 on your graduation from High School. This is an achievement of which you should be proud.
Your senior year has been unique. It was cut short in March. You endured disappointments, such as, missing prom, senior trip, senior awards night, a traditional Graduation ceremony with your parents proudly watching as you march down the aisle to the music of Sir Edward Elgar’s masterpiece, “Pomp and Circumstance.” He wrote that piece for the coronation of King Edward VII and since the beginning of the 20th century it has been played at every graduation ceremony in our country. Unfortunately, for you, the Class of 2020, there is not too much pomp and these are very unusual circumstances.
You have experienced many losses since that March day when you left school and never returned. You miss your teams, your friends, teachers and clubs. New words have entered your vocabulary: social distancing; isolation; quarantine; CDC (Center for Disease Control); lockdown; coronavirus; Covid-19. You became subject to new ways of education, such as, virtual learning, remote learning, online teaching and live streaming.
Aware of the avalanche of sickness and deaths that have resulted in our country, here in New Jersey and in the whole world, I offer you three lessons to learn from this experience.
The first lesson is we are all interconnected. There are no events outside of us. This is a truth that affects how we understand life and how we view the world and the peoples of the world. There are some in our society and beyond who refuse to acknowledge this, but this virus has made us aware how interconnected we are. In the Church we profess the communion of saints which makes interconnectedness a matter of faith.
The second lesson is, from time to time, life deals us bad cards and we suffer personal disasters. When this is your experience, recall that you are Christians who follow Jesus, our Lord and Savior. He was dealt a bad card out of which He rose to glory. His pattern, dying and rising, is the pattern for us His followers.
The third lesson is this pandemic has forced us, even you at 17 or 18 years of age, to face your human mortality and the eventuality of death. You are aware of the staggering numbers of infected individuals and the human toll that has resulted. We believe Human Life is sacred. We also believe the origin and destiny of human life are in God.
I encourage you not to fall into the trap of feeling sad for yourself. You can smile behind the mask. You can meet online with friends and relatives. You can find creative ways to connect. You can pray with our Church by following the live streamed Masses from our parishes. Life in isolation is beautiful and holy. Soon you will be able to go to church on Sunday, the Lord’s Day, following the necessary restrictions for gathering.
In conclusion, I share with you one of my favorite songs from the musical drama, DEAR EVAN HANSEN, about a high school senior who is dealing with lots of changes and issues in his life; the song is YOU ARE NOT ALONE, YOU WILL BE FOUND. The chorus sings to Evan in his suffering “So let the sun come streamin’ in cause you’ll reach up and you’ll rise again.” Which I say to you, Class of 2020, “So let the sun come streamin’ in cause you’ll reach up and you’ll rise again.” No matter these unusual circumstances with all the pomp I can muster, I say, CLASS OF 2020 CONGRATULATIONS! God Bless each one of you.
Most Reverend Dennis J. Sullivan, D.D.
Bishop of Camden