Last week, the Grade 12 students of St. Andrew’s Regional High School officially crossed the threshold into life as GRADUATES at the 2026 Grad Mass and Commissioning Ceremony, held at St. Andrew’s Cathedral. This joyful celebration, with Mass presided by Bishop Gary and concelebrated with Fr. Alfredo Monacelli, Episcopal Vicar for Education, Faith Formation and Evangelization, and Fr. Shijo George, Chaplain of St. Andrew’s Regional High School, was a day of great joy for students, parents, and teachers, and an opportunity to gather in prayer as a community for the future of the graduates.
@andreacollinsphotography
This special occasion was also a celebration of the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, which informed Bishop Gary’s homily. Addressing the parents he echoed the question asked at the birth St. John the Baptist. “What will this child become?”. He concluded by reminding the graduates, that like St. John “The spirit, too, is strong with you” because their five-year journey in Catholic education has helped them set their compass on two things they will always remember:
1) Love God with Whole Heart, Mind, and Soul
2) Love Your Neighbor as Yourselves.
Elisa Tan, a member of the Class of 2026 graduate had this to say about her experience:
“Catholic education has helped me to grow more mindful of my faith and how I implement it in social and academic settings. While I can experience spiritual growth at mass and church-related activities, being able to integrate it into my academic learning means that I have learned to actually exercise my faith in everyday life, which is equally important. I've learned how to speak of my faith with people who do and don't share it, and my prayer life has been strengthened because of it."
It is a privilege to be a Catholic educator. No matter your subject, you are teaching the whole child not just subject content. This allows for deep conversations (not every day), and deeper understanding of how to move lovingly through the world.
The evening concluded with a riveting Valedictorian address from Marcus Eades, who beautifully encouraged his fellow graduates to continue building in love “…because bringing out the good in the world, in others, and ourselves, is something that each of us is called to do no matter what path we choose.”
We are thrilled to celebrate the St. Andrew’s Regional High School graduating class of 2026. May God bless you and keep you as you spread your wings into the world.
To watch the full recording of the Grad Mass and Commissioning Ceremony, watch here: Graduation Mass and Commissioning Ceremony at St. Andrew’s Cathedral - June 24, 2026
.png)