Under the Altar: A BTS of Life in CMT

Have you ever wondered how the gym is suddenly able to turn into a church? Every month, Moreau’s CMT, Campus Ministry Team, comes together to transform the gym into the space where our school masses are held. Most students only ever see the fruits of their labor when the student body comes together to celebrate Mass. However, a lot more goes into getting ready for the school masses than what students see in the gym

To see how it’s all prepared, I interviewed CMT Members and seniors Charlotte Cruz and Abigail Boyle, as well as CMT Director Ann Tabora and school chaplain Father Bruce Cecil, to get an inside view of how this occurs.

All prep for Mass ideally starts on the day before. If the gym is not being used after school, Ms. Tabora and the CMT members transfer the items for Mass from the CMT room in Garin to the gym. However, if the gym is busy, members of CMT come to school early in the morning, about 5 a.m., to set everything up. 

Abbey Boyle described part of the process, saying, “We basically set up the fabrics, raise the nets, and steam the fabrics seen on the altar.” Along with that, CMT also set up the chairs in the gym, about 500 needed to accommodate the whole student body. The chairs even get sanitized each Mass, a detail not many are likely to notice. 

Boyle, who also serves in Masses and holds the microphone for Father Bruce, humorously shared that, “Just overall setting up for CMT gives you those arm gains.”

The graphics displayed during the masses are also made by CMT, specifically their Tech Committee. Charlotte Cruz shared, “I work with making the slides for the mass along with Ava Kwon and Vihaan Kant.” Together, the three help create images that display lyrics, what segment of the Mass is happening, what students are doing and reading, all to keep the Mass running smoothly.

Cruz elaborated, adding that “It’s tedious work but it’s fun, it allows me to play more into the creative side of my personality. The slides are a lot more than presentations or slideshows, but making sure that the main gym can be transformed into a holy place.”

When Mass is held, one of the main objectives is to create a tranquil and prayerful space; one that can be comforting and encourage the release of stress no matter one’s religious faith. To add to this, Ms. Taborah selects students to share in the faith and represent all the various groups that make up the student body, such as athletes who are in season or leaders in clubs and other teams. 

She shared her mentality for Mass, “I don’t pray like I normally do at these times. At these times my prayer becomes the service… So I look forward to when our students can serve the rest of our community.”

Ms. Taborah shared the process of how Homilies are created. Catholic churches receive a Lectionary from the Vatican, a schedule containing the Bible verses that get used for each Sunday Mass; and according to Ms. Taborah,  good preaching is made of 5 key components. It has to be theologically strong, it has to be relevant to the lives of the listeners, it has to make sense, it has to be inspiring, and it has to have some humor to turn a preaching great. 

This is where our school Chaplain, Father Bruce Cecil, comes in. The week before the Mass, he takes time out of his day to review the verses and ponder how the words can apply to our everyday lives to share at Mass. 

Father Bruce shared, “I start to imagine what’s going on in my life, or at the school here, to give some concrete examples that might relate to students. Then I put it together a few days beforehand on a note card… I remember somebody telling me you always want to preach the Bible with scripture in one hand and a newspaper in the other .”

Homilies end up a lot more practiced than how they sound when they’re said aloud. Father Bruce taking time to base his Homily on current events adds a nice cherry to the top of the delicately crafted cake of the school masses. 

Ultimately, the school Masses have a lot more that happens in the background than what’s seen or appreciated. The next time school mass rolls around, be sure to stop and appreciate the effort our fellow students put in to give us a tranquil break from the hustle and bustle of the school week. Anyone can contribute to our school Mass, whether as an altar server, music minister, reader, or as an upcoming senior interested in joining CMT.