The red and gold vestments of the Mass of the Holy Spirit shimmered, the full-voiced tones of the organ resonated, and incense rose high above the congregation as Bishop Michael Mulhall ascended into the sanctuary of St. Hedwig's Parish on September 7th. The entire student body and faculty of OLSWA were in attendance at the academic year's inaugural Mass, graced by the presence of the diocesan bishop of Pembroke. The solemn Mass marked the first day of classes, and provided the professors their opportunity to swear their annual Oath of Fidelity to the Magisterium.

"Our role is to bring Jesus to the world," His Excellency told the congregation in an inspiring homily. Expounding on the day's reading from St. Luke's Gospel, he reminded his listeners that just as the twelve apostles were called by Christ to bring the healing of faith to all people, so are we also summoned to do the same. All of us are called to be close to Our Lord, to be healed by His touch, and in our turn we must lead others to the same closeness for which we strive ourselves. This mission is particularly relevant for a faithful Catholic post-secondary institution, where by seeking the truth through education we both deepen our relationship with Christ by learning the truth and become better able to pass it on to others.

After the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the OLSWA faculty knelt before Bishop Mulhall to make their Profession of Faith and their Oath of Fidelity to the Magisterium. They swore to uphold the Faith in word and deed, an uplifting example for their students. The profession included the recitation of the Apostle's Creed and a promise of faithfulness to Pope Benedict XVI.

His Excellency was assisted by a number of priests, a deacon, and a long train of OLSWA's young men. The Mass resounded with the harmonies of the OLSWA choir led by Maestro Uwe Liefländer, which sounded glorious in spite of the fact that they'd had only one short rehearsal after a long summer. The strains of polyphony familiar to OLSWA, such as "Ave Maris Stella" and "Dextera Domini", created an atmosphere conducive to both prayer and rejoicing.

After Bishop Mulhall invoked the Holy Spirit to come down upon the community in a special blessing, the worshippers proceeded downstairs to enjoy the first "Academy Dinner" of the year, attended both by students and professors. As usual, Rachel McGuey and Sandra Etmanskie had prepared a delicious meal over which to talk, laugh, and look forward to the year ahead. Partway through the evening OLSWA's president, Dr. Keith Cassidy, took the opportunity to thank Bishop Mulhall for his ongoing support of the Academy, and for taking the time to open the academic year by offering the Holy Sacrament, a sentiment that received a standing ovation. The evening was brightly lit by the promise of another enjoyable and fruitful year under the protection of Our Blessed Mother. 

Bishop Mulhall, assisted by priests, deacons, and altar servers, process into St. Hedwig's Church for OLSWA's opening MassBishop Mulhall, assisted by priests, a deacon, and altar servers, process into St. Hedwig's Church in Barry's Bay, Ontario for OLSWA's opening Mass of 2010.