"I loved the singing," said the sophomore from St. Thomas Aquinas High School after attending her first-ever Chrism Mass, and making her first visit to St. Mary Cathedral.

Her classmate, Michelle Fuentes, had just greeted Archbishop Thomas Wenski at the door of the cathedral and asked him to sign the Mass program. "It's like a keepsake," Michelle said.

Both were among a busload of Aquinas students who attended the Mass, all of them involved in the Fort Lauderdale high school's campus ministry program. They were joined by nearly 200 others from Miami-Dade and Broward Catholic high schools, including Archbishop Coleman Carroll, Archbishop Curley-Notre Dame, Cardinal Gibbons, Chaminade-Madonna, Christopher Columbus and Belen Jesuit.

The students, along with hundreds of adults also in attendance on a cool and gloriously sunny Tuesday of Holy Week, took part in a Mass that takes place only once a year and is filled with rich symbolism.

Those present watched as an impressive procession of more than 300 priests, followed by Archbishop Wenski, entered the church, filling the sanctuary and nearly a whole side of the cathedral.

They watched as three deacons brought forth gleaming vessels containing the holy oils — of catechumens, of the sick, and of chrism — that will be used in every archdiocesan church throughout the coming year.

They watched as the archbishop poured a container of aromatic balsam into the oil of chrism before blowing on it three times to consecrate it.

And they watched as those priests renewed their ordination promises, vowing "to be more united with the Lord Jesus and more closely conformed to him."

Fifteen of those priests were honored in a special way for reaching milestone anniversaries, including Father George Cardona, who was marking his 60th year as a priest. He is retired but continues to help out at St. John the Apostle Church in Hialeah.

Those marking 50 years of priesthood were:

• Father Joseph Maroor, parochial vicar at St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Lighthouse Point;
• retired archdiocesan priests Father George Duffy and Father Daniel Kent; and
• Spiritan Father James Daly, who helps out at St. John the Baptist in Fort Lauderdale.

Those marking 25 years of priesthood were:

• Father Pedro Corces, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Miami Shores; 
• Father Anthony O'Brien, parochial vicar at St. Malachy Parish in Tamarac;
• Father Steven O'Hala, pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in Pompano Beach; 
• Msgr. Jean Pierre, pastor of St. James Parish in North Miami; 
• Father Antonio Silió, pastor of St. Boniface Parish in Pembroke Pines; 
• Msgr. Michael Souckar, pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Coral Springs; 
• Oblate Missionary Father Alejandro Roque, pastor of St. Stephen Parish in Miramar;
• Vincentian Father Jean Claude Jean-Philippe, parochial vicar at Nativity Parish in Hollywood; 
• Father Reinaldo Damian, chaplain at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Miami; and
• Father Anselm Ohanekwu, a student at St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens.

In his homily, Archbishop Wenski thanked the jubilarians as well as four deacons who will be ordained to the priesthood this May "for your witness and for your courage" in carrying out their priestly service.

He also spoke about the archdiocesan Synod, which he called for at last year's Chrism Mass. Many of those who served on Synod focus teams and task forces were present at this year's Mass.

The archbishop said the Synod will conclude this October, after more than 2,000 Catholics made their opinions known at listening sessions last summer, and after endless hours of work the past six months to turn those opinions and suggestions into "a course of action" for the archdiocese.

"And so as I review progress reports from the Synod, I see many ideas and goals around attracting people to come to us: attracting more people to come to Mass on Sunday; attracting more people to come to faith formation classes; attracting more young men to come to the seminary; attracting more children to come to our Catholic schools and our religious formation programs."

"These are all important and worthwhile efforts," Archbishop Wenski said. But the goal should not be merely to attract more people to Church. "We want them to come and then go forth as disciples in faith and missionaries of hope."

Citing the Chrism Mass readings, the example of Pope Francis, and the words of the Aparecida document which he helped write before becoming pope, the archbishop said "our secular, relativistic culture is desperate to be freed from its bondage and blindness. We must go forth into the culture with our message of truth and hope. This is the deepest meaning of the anointing received in our baptism and confirmation and in our priestly ordination. We are commissioned and sent to set free those oppressed by sin and in this way to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord."

Chrism Mass photos are available for viewing and purchase on Shutterfly. Click here to see them.