2026 Catholic Schools Week Supplement
Archbishop shares a special prayer with seniors—and a perspective to remember
Archbishop Charles C. Thompson shares a moment of joy with students from Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis following the Mass he celebrated for high school seniors from across the archdiocese on Dec. 10, 2025, at St. Malachy Church in Brownsburg. (Photo by John Shaughnessy)
By John Shaughnessy
Sometimes a different perspective opens our eyes to the gifts we have in life and the other people who share them.
As one of 19 seniors at Seton Catholic High School
in Richmond, Makayla Minor had that awakening moment before the annual Mass that Archbishop Charles C. Thompson celebrates for the Catholic high school seniors from across the archdiocese.
As St. Malachy Church in Brownsburg filled up with more than 1,000 students from 11 different high schools on Dec. 10, 2025, Makayla marveled at the scene.
“I think it’s so powerful,” said Makayla, 18, a member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Richmond. “We’re such a small school, and our graduating class is so small, so being in a church with all these people, it’s definitely very awesome and very amazing.
“Honestly, just looking around here, I’m surprised that so many people in this state also have the same faith.”
During his homily, Archbishop Thompson strived to give the Catholic high school seniors from Clarksville, Indianapolis, Madison, Oldenburg and Richmond a different perspective, too—one that opens their eyes to the gifts they have that the world needs and the gifts they are in the eyes of God.
At the beginning of his homily, the archbishop shared a simple prayer of 11 words that he hoped the seniors would take to heart—the Surrender Prayer that notes, “O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything.”
That prayer became a constant through his homily as the archbishop involved the seniors after telling them he would shout the “O Jesus” part, followed by the young men roaring “I surrender myself to you,” and the young women belting out, “Take care of everything.”
Amid the repeated calls for connectedness in offering that prayer together, the archbishop shared several key points with the seniors of Bishop Chatard, Brebeuf Jesuit, Cardinal Ritter, Cathedral, Father Michael Shawe Memorial, Father Thomas Scecina Memorial, Oldenburg Academy of the Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Providence, Providence Cristo Rey, Roncalli and Seton Catholic.
—Be a force for peace and unity
“We have to cultivate our culture because if we don’t cultivate the culture, the culture cultivates us,” Archbishop Thompson told the seniors. “It cultivates and affects the way we think. We have to be aware of that. Pope Leo talks a lot about peace and unity. How do we get there? We get there by us cultivating the culture.”
—Recognize the unique connection you and
Pope Leo XIV have
“You have something that no other generation in our country has experienced: A pope that speaks your language,” the archbishop noted. “Other popes have spoken English, but this is his first language. That’s something unique. A pope that speaks your language firsthand and knows your culture.”
Archbishop Thompson also shared an insight with the seniors that showed their importance to Pope Leo.
For the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis in November 2025, Pope Leo was initially asked to share 15 minutes in conversation with the youths who attended the event. Instead, the pope committed to 45 minutes, which actually extended to nearly an hour during the event.
“Time doesn’t mean as much to him as you mean to him,” the archbishop said.
—Write your story—don’t let AI do it
“One thing the pope talks a lot about is AI [artificial intelligence],” Archbishop Thompson said. “He’s concerned at how AI is having a cultural effect on us. And how it can have a devastating effect, if we’re not careful. AI can do some great things, but AI can’t heal.
AI can’t discern. AI doesn’t have the human ability to think and act.
“One of the things I thought was very powerful, he said, ‘We can’t let AI write our narrative.’ AI shouldn’t be writing our personal stories. We have to claim our own identity. And our identity is created in the image of God. Our identity is God-given. We don’t create our identity. We discern it, and we receive it, and we embrace it. We have to make sure we use AI for our benefit and not let AI control us.”
—Be thankful
“You did a lot of work, of course. But you got here with a lot of people,” the archbishop reminded the seniors. “Parents, grandparents, teachers in grade school and high school, administrators, counselors, all the different people who walked with you.”
—Remember the one constant you have in life
“Some of your classmates, after you graduate, you’ll never see,” the archbishop said. “You’ll go on to make other friends. Some will come and go. The one constant in our lives is Jesus Christ. He’s with us wherever we go. But we also have to cultivate a relationship with God.
“It’s not enough to know about Jesus. The demons in the Scriptures knew about Jesus. The Scripture people who hated Jesus knew about Jesus. We have to have a personal encounter with him. If we want true peace, if we want true meaning, if we want a true sense of belonging, it begins first in a relationship with him.”
—‘Don’t forget your souls’
“As you look forward to your goals, don’t take for granted the journey, the encounters along the way,” Archbishop Thompson told the seniors. “The late Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that our goal as Christians is not to possess the truth but to allow the truth to possess us. He reminds us that truth is a person, Jesus Christ.
“Wherever you go, cultivate that relationship—with prayer, with Scripture, through sacrament, through service to the Gospel. Don’t forget your souls. Don’t forget what ultimately matters. Our souls were made for eternal life.”
‘It was such a beautiful experience’
The opportunity to share the Mass with seniors across the archdiocese left its impact on Jamison Williams, one of 36 seniors from Father Michael Shawe Memorial Jr./Sr. High School in Madison.
“It’s uplifting to see that there are other people from these schools who have the same faith and the same experience as us,” said Jamison, a member of Prince of Peace Parish in Madison. “It’s very powerful.”
Cardinal Ritter senior Ashley Escamilla had the same reaction.
“It was such a beautiful experience,” said Ashley, a member of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish in Indianapolis. “As Catholic schools, we usually don’t have much time to be united all as one. But being able to have Mass here today was truly special. You got to see all the other seniors who are going to be graduating.”
She had similar praise for Archbishop Thonpson’s homily.
“I truly loved his message. His reminder to us all that we can’t let AI write our narrative was truly amazing. In the end, that is the truth. We are made in the image and likeness of God, and God has already written our story for us.
“Archbishop Thompson also reminded us that with Jesus we are able to do everything. So yes, we have goals in life, but we should always be thankful and grateful for all the people who come within our path and that make our story amazing.” †
