The Most Reverend Mitchell Thomas Rozanski, the 10th Archbishop of St. Louis, will preside at the Mass of the Holy Spirit on Sept. 8 in the gym. This marks the first major gathering of the entire school in prayer and the first time an archbishop from the St. Louis Archdiocese has celebrated an all-school mass at De Smet Jesuit in 30 years.

“I hope that people see it as something special,” Campus Ministry Director Kelsey Grimm said, “because the mass is the most important prayer that we pray as Catholics.”

A reception will take place after mass, where donors will get the opportunity to tour the middle school and see the new construction.

“Anytime we can gather as a whole school to pray is neat,” Grimm said. “We are there with [Christ].”

The Archbishop will be joined by 14 other priests.

“[The Holy Spirit] provides us all that wisdom and courage and all the gifts of the Spirit,” Grimm said. “So asking the Holy Spirit to bless our year is like giving us the strength to do what we’re supposed to do to be saints.”

Alumni priests who formerly attended the school, benefactors, and board members will all be attending this mass.

“It’s really special to have him here,” Grimm said. “To just kind of help us start our school year and pray with us.”