At 8:20, January 6th.

I walk into the John Net gym. Rows of chairs lined the slippery floor, leading up to a large altar erected at the far end of the gym.  A soft blend of instrumental noise met my ears as the Music ministry warmed up their instruments and vocals. Overlaid across this were the young voices of  elementary students, practicing their readings, with Mrs. Corcoran, Cotter’s Campus Minister, guiding them on where to stand and what to say.

All of this is just a small part of the work that goes into an all-school mass.

“It takes about 2 weeks to prepare for an all-school Mass,” Mrs. Corcoran said in her signature cheerful tone, handing me a long checklist (pictured below).

Mrs. Marisa Corcoran, as the Campus Minister at Cotter, coordinates all of the school Masses, from scheduling priests to arranging seating to writing petitions.  She has done this for 16 years, and loves her job, saying that she feels “so blessed” to be here and help others on their faith journey.

However, since Covid-19, a Campus Minister’s job has gotten more challenging. Changes had to be made, including a masking policy and hand-sanitizing for those who hand out the Eucharist. The most noticeable change, though, is the complete re-orientation of the large gym. In 2019, the altar was facing the right row of bleachers, and the entire school could fit on the one side of bleachers plus a few chairs on the floor. Since Covid-19, Mrs. Corcoran had the altar pushed back to the far end of the gym, so students could be spaced out on both sides of bleachers as well as chairs on the floor.

On top of Mrs. Corcoran’s job of coordinating the school Masses, she teaches a Skills for Christian Leadership class that trains students be “Sacristans”. According to the Catholic Culture Dictionary, a Sacristan is “A person appointed for the care of the sacristy, sacred vessels, vestments, and other articles required by the ceremonial for any liturgical function.” The Sacristan students at Cotter help assist with the readings, prayers, set-up, and everything else that goes into a Mass. Plus, they help out with the Thursday morning prayers.

However, there is more student involvement with the Mass than the Skills for Christian Leadership class. Students are invited to help set up chairs for Mass, and grades 5-12 are sometimes asked to assist with the Readings and Petitions. “Sometimes I ask teachers which students would be good readers, and they are invited to assist.” Mrs. Corcoran said. “This way, students who wouldn’t normally be involved in a Mass can participate.”

Furthermore, a Music Ministry team leads the music during Mass. This is led by Mr. Roeckers, math teacher and theater director at Cotter, and students volunteer to sing or play an instrument.

“Right now we have about 10 cantors and about 13 instrumentalists. We welcome anyone that wants to join. It is a great way to provide a service to the school community and does count for community service hours,” Mr. Roeckers says.

The students at music ministry seem to agree. Megan Morgan, a senior at Cotter, has been on the music ministry team for a few years.

“I really enjoy singing and cantoring at mass. It is a great way for me to do consistent community service, by using my time and talents. I feel as though I am making a positive difference in our school and serving the Lord by cantoring at mass,” Morgan said.

Mr Roeckers chooses the songs himself; “When preparing the music I start by looking at the reading for the given mass. There are sometimes songs that are based on those readings that would be good to select. I also look at what mass we are celebrating. Is there a feast day or holiday? I use that to select the songs for the mass.”

Though students can participate in the Mass in multiple ways, Mrs. Corcoran would love to have more opportunities for students to encounter Mass. Specifically, she would like to schedule a few “teaching Masses” where students can ask questions and the priest can explain different parts of the Mass. Eventually, she would also like an opportunity for 7th and 8th graders to come to weekly Mass. The 5th and 6th graders and high schoolers have the opportunity to come to Friday morning mass at the Chapel of the Angels, across the street from the Slaggie Family Campus. However, the 7th and 8th graders cannot attend because of their school schedule.

And why is the Mass so important for students?

“The Eucharist is the Source and Summit of Catholic life,” Mrs. Corcoran says. “For some students, this is their only experience of Mass.”