Strake Jesuit Hosts All Souls Day Mass

On Nov. 2, Strake Jesuit College Preparatory held its first in-person mass since March. The All Souls Day Mass is held annually to celebrate the alumni, faculty and staff of Strake Jesuit who have passed away.  

The religious celebration is a standard mass, but there is a unique part where the priest announces the names of the deceased who were affiliated with the school. Father Jeff Johnson, Strake Jesuit’s president, said approximately 350 names, with deaths spanning the 1960s when the school was founded, to the present. 

This mass is special to the Strake Jesuit community because it is a celebration of where Catholics would eventually like to be – with God in heaven. Father Johnson said, “Our mission at Strake Jesuit is to prepare young men to answer God’s invitation in their lives with all of their being - heart, mind and soul. At our All Souls Day Mass, we remember and pray for all of our deceased alumni, faculty and staff in the certain hope that they are with God for eternity--the goal for all of us.”

The mass ran smoothly with new health and safety precautions in place. Everyone was required to wear masks, and social distancing was practiced both on the altar and among the congregation. 

Father Johnson said, “Being together in-person in a congregation is a visible example of the God’s family coming together in worship. It’s a time to form bonds through our worship with the Body of Christ.” 

This mass was open to all via a registration system to ensure that the capacity was kept to a safe level. People were also able to watch the mass online via Strake Jesuit’s YouTube channel. After the positive experience of this mass, Strake Jesuit is likely to host more in-person masses to reconnect its community.