Class Mass was a custom at the Academy up until COVID-19 emerged. After, changes to the high school schedule made it difficult to include class mass in the schedule. In its place, Mission & Ministry held Prayer Services. Now, AHN Class Mass was reintroduced after some time this 25-26 school year. 

Sister Lisa Perkowski said, “Developing a prayer life is really important, especially here at the Academy. Because we couldn’t fit mass into Advisory Time, it hindered that development. When I heard about the new schedule, I immediately suggested the idea of incorporating class masses into Community Time to reach this goal.” 

Class masses take place on Days 2 and 3, rotating between each grade.

Students today have diverse opinions regarding the class mass. Some students say that they would rather have that time to study and instead attend with their families on their own time. Others say that they feel that it doesn’t apply to them due to their beliefs. However, a handful of students also see the positive aspect of this new tradition at the Academy. Regardless of the different opinions on class mass, there is an unanimous agreement on the fact that it unifies each grade level. 

Aline Arango (‘28) said that “I think that it’s a great way to bond. It’s also a great way to get closer to God, since there’s less people and a great opportunity to get closer to our classmates.” Additionally, Arango said that class mass is beneficial because it brings light to the religious aspect of Academy life. 

Perkowski says that she thinks that students don’t get enough time to spend in the chapel and that “class mass is really important because it’s a very sacred place and spending time there changes us for the better.” She also said that even if students don’t receive the Eucharist, they are still being blessed by the experience of attending mass. 

Mission & Ministry hopes that over time, students will get comfortable celebrating the Eucharist with each other. They believe that students will find it a joyful experience and it will become a fond memory of their time at AHN.