Time to celebrate! Students graduate across the Archdiocese (Photos)

The end of the school year marks a rite of passage for the students celebrating graduation, moving from grammar school to middle school, middle school to high school, and high school to college and beyond.

According to the Office of Schools, approximately 98% of the students graduating from Archdiocese of Newark high schools pursue a college education.

Bergen County

There are eight Catholic schools within the Bergen County region of the Archdiocese of Newark: Paramus Catholic High School in Paramus, St. Mary High School in Rutherford, St. Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, Don Bosco Preparatory School in Ramsey, Academy of the Holy Angels in Demarest, Immaculate Conception High School in Lodi, and Immaculate Heart Academy in Washington Township.

Paramus Catholic High School students celebrated graduation at the Prudential Center in Newark on June 6.

Don Bosco Prep celebrated the Class of 2023 Graduation on June 3.

Bishop Michael A. Saporito and Reverend Father Vedran Kirincic concelebrated Mass with assistance from Deacon John L. Sylvester at the Academy of the Holy Angel’s 143rd annual commencement ceremony. The 122 graduates amassed $11.3 million in scholarships toward their undergraduate studies and provided a total of 44,702 service hours locally, nationally, and internationally.

Essex County

In Essex County, Immaculate Conception High School in Montclair, St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, Seton Hall Preparatory School in West Orange, Mount St. Dominic Academy in Caldwell, St. Vincent Academy in Newark, and Lacordaire Academy in Montclair all celebrated graduation during the month of June.

The Gray Bees Class of 2023 at St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark celebrated commencement on June 7.

The Lacordaire Academy Upper School Class of 2023 celebrated commencement on June 12.

Hudson County

In Hudson County, Hudson Catholic Regional High School in Jersey City, St. Peter’s Preparatory School in Jersey City, and St. Dominic Academy in Jersey City celebrated graduation on June 3, June 6, and June 3, respectively.

The Class of 2023 at Saint Dominic Academy in Jersey City celebrated their graduation with a baccalaureate Mass and commencement ceremony.

In his commencement speech at the Saint Peter’s Prep Graduation Ceremony on June 6, student speaker Rishi Bhandari, class of 2023 said, “When we were forced to navigate… new turbulent waters, we refused to be defeated, a testament to the Prep spirit that defines our class.”

Union County

In Union County, there are six Catholic secondary schools: Roselle Catholic Regional High School in Roselle, Koinonia Academy in Plainfield, Union Catholic Regional High School in Scotch Plains, Oratory Catholic Preparatory School in Summit, Mother Seton Regional High School in Clark, and Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child in Summit. All of these schools celebrated graduation ceremonies in June.

Koinona Academy celebrated commencement on June 21.

The graduating class of the Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child Upper School.

Kindergarten and 8th grade graduations across the Archdiocese

While the Class of 2023 high school graduates will pursue a college education, technical school, military service, or head directly into the workforce, other groups of students around the Archdiocese of Newark have also been celebrating their rites of passage onto the next grade level throughout this past month.

Below are some photos of kindergarten and eighth-grade graduation ceremonies students have been celebrating across the Archdiocese throughout the month of June.