Detroit — For one morning in the cathedral, the chief shepherd was the chief teacher.

Preaching before students from all over the six-county Archdiocese of Detroit, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron used his homily during the Catholic Schools Week Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament on Feb. 1 to quiz students on the origins of sin.

“We need to think about where we come from, and what our inheritance is today in order to appreciate what God wants us to understand from today’s Scripture,” Archbishop Vigneron said.

Students from St. Valentine School in Redford Township correctly answered that sin exists because Adam and Eve disobeyed God, while students from other schools gave answers as to what happened as a consequence.

Archbishop Vigneron explained how Jesus’ death and resurrection restored that friendship.

“We hear in the Gospel one of the Jewish chief priests was moved by the Holy Spirit to say something he didn’t understand,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “Caiaphas said, ‘Don’t you understand, for the good of the people, to save the Temple, it’s more important one man die.’ Caiaphas said more than he understood: that Jesus would die, not just to save the Temple, but to bring all the people of the world into God’s family.”
Archbishop Vigneron said Jesus is the new Adam, and Mary is the new Eve, but they need coworkers to restore God’s world.

“Jesus needs coworkers; He’s not doing it on His own,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “That’s where we come in. We have a shared mission in Jesus Christ. Some of you are looking to advance to the next grade, or getting ready for university or a trade school. But remember, you are not just receivers. Each of you has a role. God wants you to help in bringing the world back.”
Archbishop Vigneron applauded the students for their work doing service hours throughout the year or volunteering for mission trips.

“Whether it’s classwork or sports and learning fair play and teamwork, or volunteering, I’m telling you this is part of a bigger deal,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “It’s part of bringing the world back to communion.”

After Mass, students who are doing their part in the mission field were recognized for their contributions, with 10 students winning the “Live It. Show It. Share It.” scholarship contest presented by Alliance Catholic Credit Union. The winning students were presented with scholarships between $6,000 and $1,000 for writing essays about how they are sharing Christ’s message in their community, with the theme “Sharing Christ in and through the Church.”

After the ceremony, Kevin Kijewski, superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Detroit, led the students in a pledge to Archbishop Vigneron to make Catholic schools “centers of joyful missionary disciples of Jesus Christ.”

“The Catholic Schools Week Mass allows the archbishop to really unite schools from all six counties,” Kijewski said. “Cathedral means seat, so the archbishop is able to sit in his seat and celebrate the holy sacrifice of the Mass with hundreds of students, teachers, administrators, supporters and staff.”

Live It. Show It. Share It.

The following students won scholarships from Alliance Catholic Credit Union’s “Live It. Show It. Share It.” contest:

Luke Boldman, De La Salle Collegiate High School, Warren

Gillian Tubay, University of Detroit Jesuit High School, Detroit

Lauren LuMarque, Marian High School, Bloomfield Hills

Anikka Jordan, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School, Marine City

Summer Nielsen, Regina High School, Warren

Austin Nielsen, De La Salle Collegiate High School, Warren

Cosette Reece, Shrine High School, Royal Oak

Anthony Schena, De La Salle Collegiate High School, Warren

Joey Schmaltz, Brother Rice High School, Bloomfield Hills

Anna Marie Schubert, St. Catherine of Siena Academy, Wixom