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Bishop, Holy Family celebrate
Bishop Murry at Holy Family
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Bishop George Murry delivers a Homily during a mass at Holy Family in Poland Wednesday.
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Bishop George Murry shares a lighter moment with Holy Family School 8th graders Mary Kate Stevens, left, and Sarah Summers while visiting the school for a mass celebrating its 50th anniversary Wednesday.
By Denise Dick
The school is marking its 50th anniversary.
POLAND — Michael Buranich, 7, and Patrick Brennan, 10, portrayed two of Christ’s disciples, answering questions posed by Bishop George V. Murry.
Bishop Murry of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown said Mass on Wednesday, marking the 50th anniversary of Holy Family School.
“God has been very good to you for 50 years,” the bishop told the pupils, teachers, administrators, staff and visitors gathered at the church.
He selected several pupils from the many children volunteering with raised hands to portray Jesus’ disciples. Bishop Murry queried the young worshippers as if he were a traveler they met on the road. “I want to ask you questions about Jesus and I want to know what you think,” Bishop Murry said.
He referred to the Lord’s Prayer: “Why do you call God father?”
“Because we’re children of God,” Michael, a first-grader, said.
What does “hallowed be thy name” mean?
“God’s name is holy,” answered fourth-grader Patrick.
Both boys said they had fun standing in the front of the sanctuary with the bishop.
Michael’s knowledge about the meaning of hallowed benefited him in more ways than one Wednesday.
“It’s on our test for religion today,” he said.
Bishop Murry said the Lord’s Prayer was one of the first prayers Christians learned to say.
“They saw it as the perfect prayer,” he said. “It was not only a prayer for then, it’s a prayer for now.”
In it, Christians ask God to help them follow his will and to forgive our sins, the bishop said.
“For 50 years, Holy Family School has been teaching young people like yourselves” to love God and to realize how much God loves you, he said.
That’s the reason for the celebration.
The school started in 1958 with 364 pupils in grades first through eighth.
Half-day kindergarten was added two years later and expanded to an all-day program in 1979.
Enrollment today is about 280 pupils in kindergarten through eighth grade.
Christine Kijowski, school principal, struggled to hold back tears delivering her closing remarks.
“For 50 years, boys and girls have come to Holy Family School to learn not only academics but also about God and the Catholic faith,” she said. “Aren’t we lucky to come to a school like this?”
She referred to the anniversary’s slogan, “Golden Past — Golden Future.”
“Gold because it’s special. Gold is precious — it endures. Gold has great value and worth. It is strong,” Kijowski said.
The school has a golden past and looks forward to a golden future.
“I ask all of you to be the golden present,” she said.