CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- The principal at a Virginia Catholic grade school said he hopes an elaborate mock conclave recently held by students and staff will help enrich the school\u2019s efforts to teach the Catholic faith.<\/p>\n\t\u201cPrimarily, my hope for this is that the kids, through understanding what\u2019s going on, would be more invigorated in their faith,\u201d Principal Dan Baillargeon told CNA on March 5.<\/p>\n
\tEmployees and numerous parent volunteers at St. Louis Catholic School in the Diocese of Arlington, Va., went to great lengths to organize the mock conclave, which met twice before electing \u201cCardinal Turkson,\u201d who took the name Sebastian I.<\/p>\n
\tOn March 1, the boys who had been selected to play cardinals \u2013 most of whom serve as altar boys in the parish \u2013 met at 7 a.m. and were dressed in black cassocks, zucchettos and birettas before visiting their respective geographic locations.<\/p>\n
\tAlthough the middle school boys were the ones who represented the 34 voting cardinals in the mock conclave, the entire school participated in the event by learning about each participating \u201ccardinal\u2019s\u201d background.<\/p>\n
\tEach classroom represented a continent or part of a country from which one of the cardinals hailed. In preparation for the conclave, students researched their countries or continents and received a visit from their \u201ccardinal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tOver the weekend, parent volunteers transformed the auditorium into a mini-Vatican, complete with doors to the Sistine Chapel, a Papal balcony and a Colonnade encircling where the \u201ccardinals\u201d would meet.<\/p>\n
\tOn March 4, rather than holding the usual Monday morning assembly, the students gathered to witness the election of a new \u201cPope,\u201d complete with students dressed as Swiss Guards, nuns, news commentators, nurses, custodians and priests.<\/p>\n
\tThe Parochial Administrator, Fr. Matthew Zuberbueler, provided \u201cguest commentary\u201d on the event by describing the process to the students who were watching.<\/p>\n
\tAt the end of the first meeting, \u201cthe leading cardinal only had three votes, so it was a failed conclave,\u201d Principal Baillargeon said.<\/p>\n
\tStudents playing Scrutineers and Revisers examined the ballots before \u201cburning\u201d them. A smoke machine in the back of the auditorium signaled the students that the \u201cChair of Peter\u201d was still vacant.<\/p>\n
\tAlthough the students had been watching for nearly an hour, \u201cYou could have heard a pin drop the entire time,\u201d Principal Baillargeon said. \u201cThey were so captivated by what they were watching.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tThe \u201ccardinals\u201d \u2013 along with the rest of the student body \u2013 went back to classes and reconvened near the end of the school day for a second conclave.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cIt was clear right away that \u2018Cardinal Turkson\u2019 was going to receive the votes,\u201d the principal said.<\/p>\n
\tAs his name was called over and over again, the students \u2013 \u201cespecially the little ones\u201d \u2013 were starting to become \u201cgiddy\u201d knowing that the decision would soon be finalized if he received two-thirds of the votes.<\/p>\n
\tAfter the mock-Revisers confirmed the vote, \u201cPope Sebastian I\u201d was dressed in one of the three papal garbs that best fit him. A boy posing as Cardinal Tauran pronounced the \u201cHabemus Papam\u201d from the makeshift Papal Balcony and presented the new \u201cHoly Father\u201d to the students.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cAs he stood up there, he had a big beaming smile on his face and all the kids had made little flags from their nations,\u201d Baillargeon said. \u201cSome of them had Vatican flags and they were waving them and cheering.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tIn all, he explained, the two separate conclaves and the election took close to two hours, but the students \u2013 grades Kindergarten through eighth \u2013 were \u201cabsolutely riveted\u201d by the proceedings.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cThere was definitely a spirit in there that this was a prayerful moment,\u201d he said. \u201cEven in its mock way, it really brought that tradition of the Church together for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tWhen asked if such an exercise would help foster vocations at the school, Baillargeon said that he hopes \u201ceverything\u201d that St. Louis does as a school is geared towards helping students be \u201cmore attentive to God\u2019s voice.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cI don\u2019t know if I can say that it will (foster vocations) directly,\u201d he added, \u201cbut I can say by making the faith alive here at this school, we hope that the kids are more attentive to what God is asking them to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
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