Bishop leads Mass at Cardinal Wuerl
CRANBERRY TWP — Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik led Mass at Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School Tuesday morning in celebration of Catholic Schools Week — an annual event held the last week of January to honor Catholic education in the United States.
This year's theme is “Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed.”
Zubik and his entourage braved the freezing wind and snow, and a two-hour school delay, to celebrate the Mass, during which he extolled the value of a Catholic education and the importance of supporting one another.
“The bishop comes here often enough so the kids are comfortable with him and he with them, so his visits are always welcome,” said the Rev. Charles Bober, CWNC chaplain. “This is Catholic Schools Week so he likes to be in the Catholic schools.”
During Mass, Zubik spoke about the importance of supporting each other, speaking from the Gospel of Mark.
“I'd like to suggest … you and I need to give each other a peer pressure for virtue,” he said. “We need to encourage each other by the example we give in the words we speak and how we speak them; in the actions that we do and how we do them; in the example that is a genuine part of your life and mine.”
After giving Communion to the students, Zubik thanked the faculty and staff at the school for their efforts in making the school the best it can be.
“Thanks for all you do to make this such a rich community,” Zubik said. “As a small way of expressing my gratitude to you, I would like to give the student body and the faculty and the administration a free day on me.”
With that the Mass ended, the students began filtering out, each greeting and shaking hands with the bishop as the they left the school auditorium.
“He appreciates being here and the students really appreciate him, too,” Bober said.
Zubik will also visit St. Wendelin School at 10:15 a.m. Wednesday and Holy Sepulcher Catholic School at 9 a.m. Friday in celebration of Catholic Schools Week.
