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CV NEWS FEED // Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic School in Welby, Colorado, integrated daily Mass into its schedule one year ago — and made a transformative impact on the spiritual life of students, faculty, and families.
Darin Lovelace, the school’s principal, explained that offering daily Mass is “the clearest way to explain how our school is not merely a private school with a Catholic mascot,” Denver Catholic reported Jan. 27.
“We are committed to orienting our students to reality,” Lovelace told Denver Catholic. “There is nothing more good, true or beautiful than the love of God we encounter at Mass. Everything else we can possibly learn about the world points back to that love.”
Father Nicholas Larkin, the pastor of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, began the initiative to lead students into a deeper understanding of their faith. Now, after a year of implementing this new schedule, both Fr. Larkin and Lovelace have observed numerous spiritual benefits among the students.
“I have seen the students deepen their capacity for silence, contemplation and remaining still,” Fr. Larkin told Denver Catholic. “The peace that flows from the altar pours over them, and they carry that peace with them.”
Lovelace connected the spiritual growth to a more focused school environment.
“When we made the decision, I supposed that we would find students more able to settle into the school day,” Lovelace said. “Having begun with the most important action we can do and giving space to center our lives together as a community, that has definitely been the case.”
Lovelace explained that the school scheduled Mass four days a week without cutting recess time, achieving this by shortening class periods by less than five minutes.
Although implementing daily Mass often requires flexibility with schedule adjustments, the school leadership has seen grace flow into the community in various ways. Fr. Larkin shared that students have not only learned traditional prayers in Latin but also express their understanding of the homilies during conversations with him.
The impact of daily Mass extends beyond the students. Teachers have reported that they encourage moments of gratitude and reflection after Mass, and many families have expressed gratitude for the shift to centering the day around the Sacrament.
Fr. Larkin and Lovelace have also found the experience personally enriching, reinvigorating their commitment to their vocations.
“Throughout the day, I can — and frequently do — refer back to the sure presence of Jesus and his love for me in the Holy Sacrifice whenever I need reassurance or strength to face what is before me,” Lovelace told Denver Catholic.
Looking ahead, Fr. Larkin is hopeful about the long-term effects of this initiative, believing it will inspire future vocations among students.
“It has been a grace to watch the boys grow in their love for our Eucharistic Lord and take seriously the responsibility of serving Christ the Priest at the altar,” he said. “I believe many vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and holy marriages will flow from this in time.”
As the school continues to prioritize the Eucharist, both leaders urge other Catholic schools to consider similar practices.
“The school is stronger in its Catholic identity and its intellectual formation because of this priority,” Lovelace said. “The Eucharist has to be the heart of the school, or the school has zero hope of forming true missionary disciples of Jesus Christ.”
