A light in the darkness

 

Just a few years ago, Centurion Night of Worship was a small gathering in the chapel with typically less than fifty people in attendance. However, 2020 gave the event a major face lift. Due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, many of our usual events, such as weekly Mass and reconciliation or class retreats, were just not possible. But where there’s God’s Will, there’s a way.

In the early months of the 2020-2021 school year, a campus club by the name of Tipi Loschi (inspired by the spirit of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati) came up with the idea to move the small and beloved Centurion Night of Worship to the Bishop Carmody Field where there would be ample room for social distancing and other necessary health measures.

Several students, within and outside of the Tipi Loschi club, expressed how lonely, isolated, and anxious they felt during the myriads of stay-at-home orders, quarantine periods, and skyrocketing cases. Everyone was in agreement that we needed to take the time to stop and breathe safely and reverently.
 

Theology teacher, John McFarland, talks to students at one of the Centurion Nights of Worship.

Mr. John McFarland, the Freshman and Junior Theology teacher, who is also one of the coordinators for the event added that he thinks these events are important any year, but especially during this pandemic when everything around us is just so “blah”.  

"It’s when you come together as a family and a community that you’re able to recognize that Jesus Christ is still Lord, still Savior, and still good. I think it’s beautiful that we’ve been able to find a safe way to bring the Blessed Sacrament and the Sacrament of Reconciliation to people because I know that a lot of students had said that they hadn’t been to confession at all and hadn’t been to church in-person but coming face-to-face with Jesus is always a beautiful thing, so if we can provide that opportunity for one person then it’s worth it,” Mr. McFarland said.
 

Father Sam Medley, SOLT, talks to students one night at the Centurion Nights of Worship.

One thing that also changed about Centurion Night of Worship from its original form in the chapel was the music. The music team is still led by Ms. Carissa Reyes and includes St. John Paul II’s very own band director and physics teacher, Ms. Molly Demel. With an extensive background in music from her alma mater, University of Notre Dame, and her music experiences in her hometown of Wichita, Kansas, she was prepared and excited to participate in Centurion Night of Worship.

“I don’t think we ever know how loud and full our lives are until we take a moment to breathe, and Centurion Night of Worship is a great time to just go and sit outside-- and you don’t have to talk to anyone, and you don’t have to sing along-- you can just be who you need to be in that moment, knowing that God is there waiting for you,” Demel said.

Ms. Demel added that she is extremely proud to be a part of a school that has been able to offer such a unique and beautiful experience for the St. John Paul II community and the public. “It [Centurion Night of Worship] helps me see that the students’ spiritual formation is a priority at the school. Faith is not just in name at our school, it really does inform everything that we do.”

From the students’ perspective, Centurion Night of Worship has been the perfect opportunity to come together, pray, and adore Jesus once again, as some describe it as joyous, refreshing, and uniting.

First-time attendee and freshman, Kenzie Childs said that she always jumps at the opportunity to go to adoration because it has helped her focus and grow closer to God, and Centurion Night of Worship was no exception. “I truly hope JPII continues to host this event for the rest of the year and the years to come! I always get so happy when I go and get to spend time with the Lord, surrounded by my JPII family.”

Brigette Escamilla, a senior and Colonel of the Drill Team, said that she loves the connections that she’s made with God and others through adoration during retreats and Centurion Night of Worship. “The chaos of the pandemic and social distancing really placed me outside of my faith, and this event was a way to reconnect with my community and with Christ. I enjoy being able to experience Christ in so many different ways, such as in the Eucharist, through people around me, and through the creation that surrounds us all on the football field.”

While Centurion Night of Worship was not meant to be a replacement for class retreats, the Theology Department and other members of the Campus Ministry Team encouraged any students who felt disheartened from the absence of retreats to return back to Him and to continue to spend time with the only One who can satisfy our desires. Sophomore theology teacher and Theology Department Head, Mr. Ben Nye comments, “Come to Jesus! Let it be a life lesson that as students leave JPII, and are away from its structure, they have to make the choice to seek Him out and to make Him a part of their life!”

As it is reiterated in Theology classes, Mr. McFarland says that Centurion Night of Worship can be summed up in this quote from St. John Paul II, which was in his address to the audience at World Youth Day in Rome in 2000: “It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness.” No one could have anticipated that this school year would look so drastically different from the years before, but one thing that never changes is God’s love for us.

We can continue to seek Him in these opportunities, even in such uncertain times, and respond to His call of holiness. Students may have different experiences, but they will all agree that Centurion Nights of Worship are exactly what this unprecedented school year needed: a light in the darkness that shines bright for all of Saratoga Boulevard to see.

Join us for our next Centurion Night of Worship on Tuesday, Jan. 19 from 7-8:30 p.m. at Bishop Carmody Field.
 

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Thérèse Castillo is a senior at St. John Paul II High School.