The Rev. Thomas Cardone
Chaplain, Kellenberg Memorial High School, Uniondale
At Kellenberg Memorial, religion is about relationships. We teach, pray, lead retreats, coach and moderate activities by relationship, and this has been extended into our virtual school experience. Our website contains multiple spiritual resources that are relational: daily rosary led by families; spiritual workouts (in May a religion teacher and coach did meditations on the “Seven Sorrows of Mary” that included physical exercise). Spiritual clubs are in high demand.
Recently one group held a 100th birthday party for St. John Paul II, a celebration for Our Lady of Fatima, and a session in which students wrote notes to residents at nursing homes to help lift their spirits. One Sodality group has a spiritual “Question of the Day” to which students respond in group chat. We have an Instagram account where teachers and students share different topics, including favorite prayer songs and videos. Conference calls and emails keep the relationships going.
Each year we hold a May Crowning in which the student body assembles in prayer; then with the assistance of a local fire department, using its ladder and bucket to reach our elevated statue, the Blessed Virgin Mary is crowned with flowers. Since we are a Marianist school devoted to Our Lady, this tradition continued virtually!
Read the full story at Newsday.com: https://www.newsday.com/long-island/religion/asking-the-clergy-spiritual-guidance-for-students-affected-by-the-pandemic-1.45226191