Congratulations. Way to go. We’re so proud of you. Thank you. Great job! Look what your efforts have done. Awesome accomplishment. God bless you. You rock! Any and all of the above are appropriate on so many occasions during this month of family, parish, school, and religious community celebrations.

May began with first Communions that brought Jesus into young lives and joy to nearly every parish. Now follow graduations on all levels — from pre-school to eighth grade to high school to college to post-graduate work, and the many related awards bestowed during the ceremonies. The end of the school year is a time to congratulate teachers and principals as well as students, and we do.

This beautiful month is also the time of ordinations and jubilee celebrations. We hope our readers take the time to review the 24-page special jubilarian section in this issue of The Catholic Post. Marvel at the power of the “yes” to God voiced by these remarkable men and women at the start and throughout their priestly and consecrated lives. If you see a face and name you recognize, why not drop them a note of gratitude in the coming days using the address at the end of their story? (This goes for the retiring and moving priests featured on our front page as well.) If you don’t recognize a name or face, why not pick one out and prayerfully “adopt” them as a family? Send them a note of congratulations and let them know of your prayers.

Finally, as editor, I offer the entire congratulatory litany that opened this piece to Post staff members — especially section editor Jennifer Willems — for their weeks of work compiling and producing the section. It is truly a labor of love and gratitude. — Thomas J. Dermody, editor-in-chief, The Catholic Post