Students, faculty, and parents of Holy Cross School on Monday joined Cardinal Timothy Dolan to celebrate 100 years to the day that the school welcomed its first class.

“Congratulations on your 100th anniversary as a great school here in The Bronx. It’s an honor and a joy for me to be with you and pray at Mass in thanksgiving to Jesus for the 100 years he’s given us,” said Cardinal Dolan in his welcome remarks at the beginning of Mass, held at neighboring Holy Cross Church.

In his homily, Cardinal Dolan recalled another anniversary being marked on Monday, that of the September 11 terrorist attacks. First responders working at the site found two steel girders in the shape of a cross took it and placed the symbol atop the debris. “‘We had hope. We had hope because we know that the cross of Christ is here. So we’ve got a cross of Christ in our hearts. We’ve got a cross of Christ in our souls,” he said.

Holy Cross Church’s Pastor Father John Higgins and Parochial Vicar Father Vincent Druding concelebrated the Mass with Cardinal Dolan.

A relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis was present at the Mass and later brought to a ceremony held in the school gymnasium.

Holy Cross School students petitioned Cardinal Dolan to inaugurate the 2023-24 school year as the year of the Eucharist under the patronage of Blessed Carlo Acutis. Cardinal Dolan granted the petition and then blessed posters and prayer cards Acutis to be placed in each classroom.

Visiting the school with Cardinal Dolan was Sister Mary Grace Walsh, ASCJ, Ph.D., superintendent of schools for Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of New York, who was making her first visit to Holy Cross School in her new position. “Today is a great day of joy for me and the members of the Department of Education that are here. Being in the schools is what it’s all about. Seeing these bright, young faces, filled with joy, praying, singing, enthusiastic, this makes the job so easy,” Sister Mary Grace said.

She praised the parish for its support of the school. “A school community like this one at Holy Cross, with the support of parents, and you can see that it’s the whole parish community, not just the parents, it really makes a difference.” 

Before he departed, the students gave Cardinal Dolan three gifts: a sweatshirt and coffee mug, both emblazoned with the Holy Cross School logo; and a jar of pickles, recalling the school’s origins in a former pickle factory.