Columbus kicks off Marist celebration at Mass with archbishop

By Cristina Cruz - Christopher Columbus HS

MIAMI | Archbishop Thomas Wenski celebrated Mass with the entire student body of Christopher Columbus High School Feb. 3, a celebration which marked the Marist Brothers' bicentennial as well as the conclusion of Catholic Schools Week 2017.

The Catholic Schools Week celebration at Columbus focused on the theme of vocations. The week included lectures and prayers experiences such as:

• Taize Prayer with a reflection on the diaconate led by Columbus High teacher and permanent deacon James Dugard and Deacon Alexis Ibarra, Columbus class of '87;
• Reflection on married and family life with Columbus alumnus Alex Galvez, '92, and Sylvie Galvez Cuesta, who now directs the Columbus Mas Program;
• Reflection on religious life and lay Marists with Brother Todd Patenaude, new membership director of the Marist Brothers U.S. Province;
• "Called to the Priesthood" with Father Elvis González, archdiocesan director of Vocations.

Columbus is one of 12 schools in the United States where the Marist Brothers minister and 1 of the 7 that are owned and operated by the brothers. Columbus is one of the U.S. Marist schools with the greatest number of working brothers.

Other activities planned at the school to mark the Marist anniversary include a Marist 200th Anniversary Picnic at the school March 18 and a National Day of Service March 29.

The picnic will be open to the entire Columbus family, including alumni. At the National Day of Service, Columbus students will join with their peers in other Marist schools to serve the neediest in their local communities, while raising funds to benefit the most at-risk Marist missions around the world.

Columbus has also launched The Marist Brothers 200th Anniversary Giving Campaign, through which alumni and friends of Columbus can make a donation to the school in honor of a particular Marist Brother or in honor of the Marist Brothers in general. The donations will be used to give tuition assistance to needy families at Columbus and to expand the school’s programs and facilities. 

The school is also encouraging alumni and friends of Columbus to submit their “Marist Brother Memories” for publishing in future school magazines.  

“Over 100 Marist brothers have served at Columbus since 1959 and we are blessed to currently have 14 brothers and over 100 Marist lay faculty members carrying out the Marist mission here today,” said Brother Kevin Handibode, Columbus’ president, who has served the school for over 45 years. “We hope that our Columbus family will commemorate the anniversary and also pray for all the Marist brothers, especially those that they have come to know over the years.”

The bicentenary began Jan. 2, 2017. On that date in 1817, a young Father Marcellin Champagnat officially formed the congregation in France. Their mission was the same then as today: to make Jesus known and loved through the education of young people, especially those most neglected.

• Read Archbishop Wenski's homily at the Mass here.