On a recent Monday morning, D.J. Cerchio fought the urge to hit the snooze button so he could get up to attend 6:30 a.m. Mass before school. Cerchio, a sophomore at Mendham High School in New Jersey, is one of dozens of teenagers who gather monthly at St. Joseph Church in Mendham for the parish youth ministry’s 6:30 a.m. Mass followed by a communal breakfast of hot, fresh bagels.
It may seem counterintuitive to parents who’ve had to wake up a teenager for school, but the difficulty of getting up is a key part of the program’s success since its founding in 2013.
“I come to Mass and Bagels because it’s a challenge and the perfect start to my week. It isn’t easy to wake up early on a Monday and go to Mass, but it’s very rewarding,” Cerchio said.
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Mendham High School junior Max Krolikiewicz agrees: “I get up early so that I can start my day off with a clear head and the knowledge that I have God to guide me through the week.”
Mark Tosso, St. Joseph’s youth minister, said, “Our teens thirst for a Catholic faith that is demanding. They love the austere silence and calm of daily Mass, and the community and friendship that grows at breakfast afterwards.”
Mendham High School junior Ava Moynihan said, “I love starting my week off by spending time with the Lord as well as the amazing people who attend. I ultimately feel more at peace and less stressed for my busy week ahead when I make the sacrifice of waking up a little earlier.”
St. Joseph’s pastor, Msgr. Joseph Anginoli presides at the Masses in the parish’s historic chapel and is proud of how these teens are building habits of prayer and devotion. He said, “the faith commitment of our young people is extraordinary.” Msgr. Anginoli commended the teens for their witness and encouraged them in their determination to “live out your faith in a vibrant way at home, in school, and wherever you find yourself.”
Making the connection between our small sacrifices and Jesus’s sacrifice for us is a key element of Mass and Bagels.
“When we sacrifice comfort out of love for the Lord, we open our hearts to so much grace. And we need that grace to make it through the day ahead,” Tosso said.
Randolph High School senior Gavin Vetter said showing up “feels like starting the morning with a win, and the quiet, peaceful atmosphere of the Mass helps me center myself. When you start the week with a sacrifice out of love for God, it’s not hard to see his light in the world and his love around you after.”
