December 27, 2023

Youth of diocese ‘prepare the way for the Lord’

REGIONAL
By Carolee McGrath

 

SPRINGFIELD – From Christmas pageants, to toys drives, to Christmas caroling, youth all across the Diocese of Springfield shined the light of Christ leading up to Christmas. Both Catholic schools and youth groups were busy during Advent preparing the way for the Lord.

“We collected hundreds of gifts for children in need for Christmas,” said Fadia Makdisi, the principal of St. Agnes Academy in Dalton. The toys collected benefited a program run by the Department of Children and Families.

“St. Agnes Academy has been participating for years. Each family sponsors a child and brings them gifts from their wish lists,” she said. Each month the school collects for a local charity. In November, St. Agnes Academy did a food drive and in October, a diaper drive for Pregnancy Support Services of Berkshire County.

Youth from St. Elizabeth Parish in Ludlow assisted with Head Start’s “All I Want for Christmas Campaign.” They sorted gifts bought by parishioners and made tags.

“We were able to get gifts to 25 families and close to 100 kids,” said Lisa Saloio, the director of youth ministry at St. Elizabeth Parish. In addition, students prepared and served a meal at Loaves and Fishes.

“The Head Start campaign I believe is an eye opener for youth. When little kids’ wish lists include basic necessities we take for granted like underwear, or parents who don’t even have dishes, it can become a great place to start a conversation about the many blessings we have in our lives and how Jesus calls us to share those blessings,” said Saloio.

“The soup kitchen experience puts a face to the homeless. Interacting face to face makes it more difficult to forget our brothers and sisters in need,” she said.

Second grade students from St. Stanislaus Kotska School in Adams went Christmas caroling in the local community, bringing joy to residents.

“Our families are very close. It was not a school organized event but I have a second grader, so I posted it to our social media,” said Sara Potvin, senior administrative assistant at St. Stanislaus Kostka School.

“It was a really wonderful night and we’re hoping to make it an annual tradition. Our community and parish are so supportive of our school and we just wanted to spread a little Christmas joy to them. We learned after the fact that it used to be a school tradition to go out caroling, which made it even more special for some of the people whose houses we sang at,” Potvin said.

The youth group from St. Cecilia Parish in Wilbraham also did their annual Christmas caroling event, Friday, Dec. 22, visiting the police and fire departments, and elderly residents.

“Our youth group has so often brought the spirit of Christ to nursing homes and the homebound in various ways,” said Father John Connors, the pastor of St. Cecilia Parish. “This Christmas is no different. Our police and firefighters often have to work holidays. Sharing that joy makes it special for others,” he said. 

Students from Mater Dolorosa School collected toys for the Holyoke Police Department’s toy drive.

In addition to community outreach, schools and parishes also held Christmas pageants, with children retelling the Nativity story documented in Luke’s Gospel. St. Michael Academy in Springfield had more than 200 students participate in the annual pageant on two different nights, Dec. 12 and Dec. 13, at St. Michael’s Cathedral. Students at St. Thomas the Apostle School in West Springfield, St. Stanislaus School in Chicopee, Blessed Sacrament School in Holyoke, St. John the Baptist School in Ludlow, St. Mary School in Westfield, and St. Stanislaus Kostka School in Adams also held Christmas pageants. St. Mary Academy in Longmeadow held a pageant and a concert. St. Mary School in Lee put on “A Christmas Mouse,” a traditional nativity play, told from the perspective of a mouse.

“I was absolutely blown away by our students’ performance,” said Cara Maiorano-Culver, the principal of St. Mary School in Lee.

“We had close to 250 guests at our evening performance, and heard nothing but positive feedback. We are so grateful for this community,” she said.

In 1223, St. Francis of Assisi created the first-ever Nativity scene in Greccio, Italy with townspeople and friars. Since then, living Nativity scenes and pageants have become a Catholic tradition. In addition to schools, several parishes across the diocese held pageants, including Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish in Westfield, St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Belchertown,  and St. Cecilia Parish in Wilbraham.