Bishop Jugis addresses the Class of 2017
Bishop Jugis addresses the Class of 2017CHARLOTTE — The months of May and June herald high school graduation season and with it the opportunity for Bishop Peter Jugis to address hundreds of Catholic school graduates in western North Carolina. This year, a total of 470 students graduated from three Catholic high schools – Charlotte Catholic High School in Charlotte, Christ the King Cathollic High School in Huntersville and Bishop McGuinness High School in Kernersville.
Pictured: Graduates of Bishop McGuinness High School in Kernersville gathered May 25 for a baccalaureate Mass at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro celebrated by Bishop Jugis. (Photo provided by Katie Williams)
On May 30, Bishop Jugis celebrated the annual baccalaureate Mass at St. Matthew Church for the Charlotte Catholic Class of 2017. During his homily, he encouraged the graduates to contemplate their futures in light of the Catholic education they have received.
“Now, it is true that every one of us impacts the lives of others in some way,” Bishop Jugis said to the graduates. “It can’t fail to happen, so it is worth asking, ‘What kind of impact will you have on the lives of others as you move forward?’
The Class of 2017 of Charlotte Catholic High School celebrated the end of one chapter in their lives and the start of another with a baccalaurate Mass May 30 at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte offered by Bishop Peter Jugis before their graduation June 2. Tara Heilingoetter | Catholic News Herald
Graduates of Christ the King High School attended a baccalaureate Mass June 1 at St. Mark Church in Huntersville, celebrated by Bishop Jugis.(Photo provided by Amy Burger)“As you are pondering that, there is one thing I would like for you to keep in mind; to remember the excellence of charity and mercy, and make sure that you practice these,” he said.
Bishop Jugis then spoke of how mercy has a long-lasting impact on the lives of others. “We just heard (in the Gospel reading) Jesus in this Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, highly commend the practice of mercy to His followers, even including it in His list of the Beatitudes. ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.’
“If they weren’t important to Jesus, He would not have included it in His list, His Beatitudes,” Bishop Jugis explained. “An excellent virtue. An excellent way of life that I would like you, as graduates of Charlotte Catholic High School, to remember as you go your way and represent to all the world your Catholic education. Be merciful.”
Bishop Jugis cited many examples of charity and mercy in the life of St. John Paul II, who ordained him to the priesthood June 12, 1983 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The saint also appointed him Bishop of Charlotte in August 2003.
“I give those examples of charity and mercy from the life of Pope St. John Paul II just to get you thinking,” Bishop Jugis said. “You have a choice to make. It starts as soon as you graduate, and has already been planted in you by your formation in your Christian faith.
“You stand on the threshold of a great lifetime adventure. Take the love of Christ with you wherever you go. Jesus asks that you do what you can do. That’s all He asks. That you do what you can do for His kingdom of mercy, for His kingdom of justice, truth and holiness,” Bishop Jugis explained.
He asked the Class of 2017 to keep in their hearts the promise that Jesus makes to His disciples, ‘Behold, I am with you always.’
“Never forget those words of Jesus as you go in your life’s direction, in your life’s way,” Bishop Jugis said. “When Jesus makes a promise, He fulfils it. He is with you to guide you. He is with you now to bless you on your way. He is with you to inspire you.
“As you continue living your faith, He is with you to help you,” Bishop Jugis said.
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter
CHARLOTTE — Charlotte Catholic High School graduate Jake Sheridan has been named to the prestigious Robertson Scholars Leadership Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University. As a Robertson Scholar, he has won a four-year scholarship that gives him unique access to the academic and extracurricular offerings at both Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill.
His academic achievements, extracurricular activities, remarkable character and service-oriented personality recommend him as the type of scholar the Robertson program seeks. He was elected to the school’s Honor Council during his freshman year, and has served on the council each year since then. He is a successful participant on the Debate and Speech Team, and plays basketball.
He is known for selecting the most challenging courses offered at the high school, and took seven Advanced Placement classes his senior year. He has participated in Mecklenburg County Teen Court, a program of the Assistance League of Charlotte, which provides a second chance for juvenile offenders with no prior convictions when they admit guilt to a misdemeanor offense, agree to be tried by a jury of their peers, and take responsibility for their actions. Teen volunteers such as Sheridan are trained in the legal process as jurors, clerks of court, bailiffs and attorneys.
The Robertson Scholars Leadership Program was created in 2000 by the Robertson family, inspired by their sons, one of whom graduated from Duke in 1998, and the other from UNC in 2001. The Robertsons believed that each institution offered a distinct undergraduate experience, and that the combination of the two would provide a depth and breadth of resources that no other university could match.
The program provides students from each university with full four-year scholarships, access to the academic and extracurricular offerings at both universities, three summers of experiences in the U.S. and abroad, and opportunities for professional development and interaction. Approximately 36 Robertson scholarships are awarded each year to 18 incoming UNC freshmen and 18 incoming Duke freshmen.
— Carolyn Kramer Tillman