Advent season is here! We have been very busy preparing for this wonderful time of year.
We started the week with our annual Advent Wreath blessing led by our 8th-grade students and Fr. Mersmann. It was such a beautiful time together. Our students wrote on a piece of paper a good deed (special gift) for Jesus and laid it in the stable as part of our school Nativity scene displayed in the hallway. This will be a good reminder each time they walk past it throughout the day the gift they offered to Jesus.
On Tuesday, we had our iGive campaign and we were so ecstatic that we surpassed our goal for this year. Thank you to everyone that participated. Our youngest members of our parish are so blessed to have such generous donors that support our wonderful school.
Thursday was a busy day. We began with writing Christmas cards to our parishioners in our Faith Families. Celebrated Mass with our families and discussed the gift of grace that reconciliation brings. We had four priests visit so our third through eighth-grade students could receive that gift of grace to start this Advent season. I was able to spend time with them before and after their confessions. It truly is a blessing to see the students smiling after absolution of their sins. They walked a little taller and seemed a little lighter. What a gift to be with these students each day.
Lastly, but definitely not least, we had our Grand Opening of our Elf Shelf Store. This is a wonderful opportunity for all of our students to purchase gifts for their loved ones. We had parent volunteers and teachers come help work the store. The students absolutely loved it. Thank you to Mrs. Bridges, our volunteers and all who have helped organize this special event for our students. If you know someone who would be interested in participating, please don't hesitate to invite them to our big Breakfast with Santa event this Saturday, December 4 from 8-10 am in the school gym.
This week has reminded me of one of my favorite quotes from Pope Francis. We are definitely encountering the spirit of Christmas in our Holy Cross hallways this season of Advent.
"Christmas isn’t just a temporal celebration or the memory of a beautiful (event); Christmas is more … Christmas is an encounter!"
– Pope Francis
