Holy Rosary School vocalists gave up recess for Lent
Visit Holy Rosary School in Monroe City around recess in the days leading up to the Easter Triduum, and you’ll find a room of full of students singing instead of playing games outside.
About 30 students — fifth through the eighth-grades — sacrifice recess during Lent each year to practice for choral duty at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday in Holy Rosary Catholic Church.
Holy Thursday is the day when Jesus Christ celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples and was later in the evening arrested by Roman soldiers in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Holy Rosary students normally make some kind of sacrifice for Lent — soda, candy, chocolate — and promise to offer up acts of prayer and charity. But the hearty few who sing go a step beyond.
Last week, as they were rehearsing “Here At This Table” by composer Don Besig, several students reflected on why singing at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday to be more important than recess for the month they spend in rehearsals.
“It’s really about making a good sacrifice,” Emily Delaporte, 13, said during a break from rehearsing. “Plus, I like to sing.”
Nearby, Maddie Gomez, 13, echoed Emily’s sentiments.
“I like recess ... but this is important,” she said.
For others, the love of singing is what keeps them in from recess.
“I do like singing,” said Ryan Hays.
Added John Quinn, 13: “I really prefer singing to recess,” saying that recess is fun but that singing for Holy Thursday means more to him.
Dominican Sister Suzanne Walker, principal of Holy Rosary School, said Lent is a time of reflections that will last well into adulthood.
The school’s Lenten singing tradition dates back at least 35 years.
“I truly believe they enjoy singing and I’d like to think they also believe it is the right thing to do,” Sr. Suzanne said of her students. “We encourage them. I tell them that we need them to help celebrate the Holy Thursday Liturgy and that sharing their musical gifts is a great ministry in which they can participate.”
In addition to leading the singing at the Holy Thursday Liturgy the members of the choir also sang at the citywide Easter Cantata on Palm Sunday in the Monroe City United Methodist Church.
Founded in 1901, Holy Rosary School has 170 students in preschool through the eighth grade.
Mr. Gossett is editor of the Salt River Journal newspaper. His article and photo are republished here with permission.
