August 26, 2019

Bishop Rozanski celebrates opening Mass at Thomas Aquinas College

REGIONAL
Story and photos by Stephen Kiltonic

NORTHFIELD – After nearly a four-year process, Thomas Aquinas College New England officially opened Aug. 24 with an 8:30 a.m. Mass of the Holy Spirit at the newly renamed Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel, formerly Sage Chapel.

Concelebrating the Mass with Springfield Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski was the college chaplain, Father Greg Markey, along with several diocesan priests and deacons.

Bishop Rozanski also blessed the chapel during the Mass, which was attended by Thomas Aquinas students, faculty, administration, alumni, governors, and family members. The Thomas Aquinas College Choir, directed by Aquinas’ alumni Stephen Grimm and his wife Laura, provided the music, which included Gregorian chants.

In his homily, Bishop Rozanski spoke of Dwight L. Moody, who founded the Northfield Seminary for Young Ladies in 1879, which helped instill a Christian education in young women whose families couldn’t afford a private education.

Quoting the world-renowned evangelist, Bishop Rozanski said, “Faith makes all things possible. Love makes all things easy.” He went on, adding, “This campus will serve as a place to enlighten the hearts and minds of young Catholics so that they, too, from here, may go out to witness to the power of Jesus at work through them.”

After the Mass, the congregation walked to the campus flagpole where Bishop Rozanski blessed the American and Thomas Aquinas College flags and members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars raised the flags. At the ceremony, Thomas Aquinas College president, Michael F. McLean, was presented with a “very old and very rare” 1614 edition of the St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologiae by Don Glascoff, a friend of the college and the vice-chair of the board of Northfield Mount Hermon School.

Following the flag-raising and refreshments, Bishop Rozanski presided over the Convocation and Matriculation Ceremony held in the historic Moody Auditorium. Before roughly 400, he gave the Benediction and administered the Profession of Faith and Oath of Fidelity to all the faculty members.

Each student from the classes of 2022 and 2023 was then introduced by director of admissions, Jon Daly. Bishop Rozanski and President McLean greeted all the students on stage before each signed the college registry, beginning their tenure as students.

McLean gave the Matriculation Address, pledging to “forge friendships with the citizens, and with the Catholic communities, of Northfield, the Pioneer Valley and all of New England.”

At the conclusion, McLean officially opened the college’s 49^th academic year and the first in New England. After a standing round of applause, the faculty and Board of Governors then processed out of the auditorium singing “Immaculate Mary.”

The Northfield student body consists of 58 students with 30 sophomores as well as 28 freshmen from some 20 states and five countries, including Canada and Ireland.

Freshman Niamh McCann from Shirley, Mass., has a sister who attends the original Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, Calif. McCann said while she loves that campus, the location and beauty of the Northfield campus was the attraction for her.

“Something about this beautiful New England campus really just felt more like home. Growing up here, and as well as the opportunity to be in a pioneering class, was incredible and it seems like (it’s) too good to pass up,” said McCann.

Fellow freshman Paul Dinan from Florida agreed. “I was absolutely stunned by the beauty. I’ve always liked the New England red brick colonial feeling. So, it really makes me feel like a pioneer to be here on this campus and, like Niamh, I’m so happy to be around people that are really concerned about their faith and on fire to spread Jesus Christ to others.”

Clara Ramos Ghigliotti, from Puerto Rico, and Nathanael Cassidy, of the United Kingdom, are sophomores who attended the Santa Paula campus last year.

“It’s really amazing to see how much people believe in this education. That they’re willing to give us this amazing campus to be able to learn and continue our education here, I think, it’s a blessing,” said Ramos Ghigliotti.

“Of course, I was sad to leave and say goodbye to many good people but it’s the sense of adventure and the sense of pioneering that kind of draws me to this place. We have something that we can establish here that not many places around here offer. So, that’s just an absolute blessing,” added Cassidy.

Bishop Rozanski has been a fervent supporter of the college ever since he met four years ago with President McLean, who explained the college’s plans to open a branch on the east coast. With the college now open, it’s the first time a college/university has opened in the Springfield Diocese since Our Lady of the Elms was established in 1928.

“We have another Catholic presence in the Diocese of Springfield and a college that is very rich in the Catholic tradition, rich in the intellectual tradition,” said Bishop Rozanski. “Many of the graduates go on to different fields of life that really contribute to society. Many of them have gone on to religious vocations. So, this is really a powerhouse of Catholicism on the northern part of the Springfield Diocese.”

President McLean said that while there were some bumps in the road along the way to the college receiving accreditation from the state, he’s pleased that the talk has moved beyond the conceptual to the reality.

“Now that we’ve gotten to this point where an actual group of students, a strong faculty and the campus in shape to really begin an academic year, I feel very grateful to everyone that’s contributed to this process and I feel very optimistic that it’s going to be successful. The trajectory from here on is kind of upwards – steady upward growth – steady increase in funding and the gradual completion of the renovation of the campus. So, I feel very good about today. Very good about where we are and optimistic about the future,” added McLean.  

McLean said that while the underlying philosophy of the two campuses will be identical, he welcomes certain customs that will be specific to the New England campus like kayaking on the Connecticut River, hiking the mountain trails and skiing when the snow starts to fall.

“The faculty families that moved here are really loving it. They’re loving the rural character of Northfield. They’re loving the fact that their kids can ride their bikes around this campus,” said McLean. “It’s just exciting. Everything points to success and points to a really strong Thomas Aquinas College culture here.”

After the convocation, everyone was invited to lunch, which was held under a tent on the campus grounds near the chapel. Freshmen orientation, various meetings, and a social take place Monday, with classes beginning on Tuesday.

A video version of this story will be on an upcoming edition of “Real to Reel” which airs Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. on WWLP-TV22 NEWS and in the Berkshires Sunday mornings at 5:30 on Albany’s Fox 23, WXXA.