Flag carriers representing the nations of the Austin Prep community during Convocation.
By Niamh Reidy ’31 of Austin Preparatory School
Reading, MA — Every September, the new school year rolls around again. Fall sports start up, students rush around trying to find their classes, and everyone gets back into the school routine. At Austin Preparatory School, students and faculty start preparing for the biggest school-wide liturgy of the year before the first bell even rings. That ceremony is the annual Convocation Liturgy.
Convocation at Austin Prep is an opening ceremony and Mass the second week of the school year. It is complete with the pageantry expected of an event of this significance, beginning with students processing in by grade with their class banners and being welcomed by faculty and staff in academic regalia. It also includes a procession of flags representing more than 80 countries and the national heritages of members of the school community. Last year, the Most Reverend Robert P. Reed, Auxiliary Bishop of Boston, served as the principal celebrant, and this year, Austin Prep’s own Fr. Armano is celebrating the Mass.
Setting the Stage for One of Austin Prep’s Most Cherished Traditions
With an event as extravagant and special as this, a great deal of planning goes into the day. The planning process usually starts once the date is set, which usually happens from November to December of the previous year. This year, Convocation took place on September 11 at Fr. Seymour Field. It was mainly planned by Mrs. Belanger, who is the Assistant Head of School for Administration and Special Projects. She oversees organizing the entire event each year, from the class procession to the Facility team taking the stage down.
“There are students, faculty, staff, clergy, musicians, guests, facility’s needs, security, seating, processions, and timing that all must come together. Thankfully, we have a great team of people who have been doing this for many years, so Convocation has become a very well-oiled machine,” said Mrs. Belanger.
There is also a significant amount of student and faculty involvement in this event, including more than 85 flag carriers, 10 students class banner carriers, members of student government, student readers, altar servers, Campus Ministry, guest musicians, the student choir, the pipe and drum corps, Facilities, the Campus Safety team, the Student Life Office, and the Academic Office. This adds up to over 150 people.
All planning and preparation come together as a meaningful way to begin the school year by bringing the community together. The time spent organizing the Mass allows students, faculty, and staff to work together and prepare for this important start-of-year tradition. Through this preparation, students and staff get to be part of something bigger than one club or one class and contribute to the whole school community.
Finding the Right Notes for a Schoolwide Celebration
Convocation wouldn’t be the same without the music and dedication of the Austin Prep choir and the student instrumentalists. The music performed at the liturgy is a mix of Augustinian hymns and traditional Mass hymns.
“It’s a big collaboration … We start by praying, and we look at the readings that are going to be used for that Mass. And then we try to balance it with the liturgy of the day,” said Dr. Jessica McCormack, director of music at Austin Preparatory, when asked how the songs for Convocation are selected.
Student musicians spend a lot of time preparing for Mass. Preparation started in late August and continued until the Mass with rehearsals held in the school’s choir room.
Singing during Austin Prep Convocation, from left: Abby Harrington ’31 of Boxford, Emma Reed ’31 of Melrose, Julia Pruitt ’29 of Reading, and Niamh Reidy ’31 of Andover.
“Music is such an important aspect of this Mass because, through music, we bring the school together in song. I always love it when we sing a song the entire school knows because it truly shows how strong our community is and how we can come together as one through music,” said Julia Coelho ‘27, Austin Prep senior and choir president.
During this time, new choir members also join for Convocation and the masses that follow, meaning many different voices need to be placed in the correct sections and adding another level of difficulty to the already short rehearsal schedule. Although the preparation process moves quickly, it is beloved by many choir members and culminates in 30 minutes of music.
At the Heart of the Ceremony Is a Call to Faith and Community
While there is a great deal of pageantry surrounding Convocation, Mass is still the most important part. The September 11 liturgy is a Mass of the Holy Spirit because no feast day falls on that day. Convocation is common at a lot of non-Catholic schools, where it is an opening ceremony for the school year. At Austin Prep, a Mass is celebrated as part of Convocation, connecting God to a classic tradition. “I think the primary message, right, is that we begin our school year by turning to the Lord and asking the Holy Spirit to guide us and to ignite our minds and our hearts and that we root our life here at Austin Prep, because we have a community life here,” said Fr. Armano, Austin Prep’s school Chaplin.
After up to half a year of planning, Convocation continues to be a cherished tradition at Austin Prep that brings the community together through music, logistics, and faith.
About the Author:
Niamh Reidy ’31 of Andover is a student journalist at Austin Preparatory School. She is an officer in the Middle School Choir and also participates in Drama Club and runs Cross Country.
