By Jack Schreiber ’26
On Friday, December 8th, the Ironmen of Don Bosco Prep came together to celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. This holy day of obligation celebrates our Holy Mother Mary’s birth void of original sin.
At the beginning of the Mass, Fr. Abe introduced our main celebrant – Fr. Tom Dente. Fr. Tom is originally from Oakland, NJ, and an alumnus of Don Bosco Prep’s Class of 1985. He was ordained a priest for service to the Archdiocese of Newark in 1993, and his first assignments were as a parochial vicar at St. Elizabeth, Wyckoff and St. John the Baptist, Hillsdale. For the past eight years, Fr. Tom has served as pastor of Notre Dame Church, North Caldwell. Throughout his years of ministry, Fr. Tom has served on several Archdiocesan Commissions and as an adjunct faculty member in several local Catholic colleges, specializing in liturgical and sacramental theology.
Father Tom’s homily focused on the choices that we make in our daily lives, and how that leads to the people we become. He began his homily by explaining the bandage and cast on his left hand. A few weeks earlier, returning to the rectory at Notre Dame, his car was suddenly hit in an intersection by a vehicle driven bya young man. Fr. Tom explored the choices made by the young man and the many serious legal and insurance consequences caused by his reckless driving decision. A second story was even more serious. A young man, whom Fr. Tom recently buried, made a serious of destructive decisions which cost him his life. The young man had decided to join others one weekend night in heavy drinking which led to foolish pranking. When the police were called by angry residents, the young man ran towards the woods and drowned when he fell in the darkness into a body og ultra-frigid water which arrested his breathing. Fr. Tom then contrasted these two tragic stories with the story of Mary, who was born without original sin and who made the chouice to accept God’s plan for her. Fr. Tom elaborated on the long series of many benefits Mary’s affirmative choice had for her and all Christians. Fr. Tom concluded his homily by encouraging everyone in the Don Bosco Prep community to make constructive decisions, which reverberate in many positive ways.
Don Bosco’s school Masses are always graced by the performances of our Music Ministers. This Mass was no exception, and there were several highlights. For one, the DBP Chorus enriched the liturgy with familiar Advent season tunes. Another highlight was Sophomore Ryan Pelosi’s solo leading the community in the singing of the Responsorial Psalm. Yet another highlight was Junior Brendan Cho performing a beautifully memorable rendition of the “Ave Maria”.
After Communion, Fr. Abe highlighted the role of our Music Ministers, under the direction of Toni and Gary Cecere. All of the Music Ministers lined up in the front of the altar, where they were given a blessing and where each received a Music Ministry pin.
Due to his Bosco connection, Father Abe concluded the Mass by presenting Fr. Tom with some Don Bosco Prep-themed gifts.