Religious Affairs
"Why is Mary Celebrated in May?"
April 21, 2023
By: Sydney Abrams
What first comes to mind when you think of Mother Mary? She’s the mother of Jesus, one of the most adored saints, and overall a very good role model for every Christian and Catholic. However, many months can also relate to her in numerous ways, depending on how you see Mary. But one of the most popular and the official month for Mary is May! Although she is also remembered in October, this is only because the Rosary’s introduction and creation was in that month. In this article, you will find out Mary’s lasting importance in May, and what traditions there are!
To start, the seasons and environments in spring really correlate to Mary. May is usually known to be beautiful, since it’s in the spring season and involves flowers and floral themes. With the mention of flowers and plants in general, they generally grow in spring, with their leaves and/or petals flourishing. This exactly resonates with Mother Mary, because she made a new beginning for all of us. By accepting God’s request and conceiving Jesus, she successfully created a new life for Christians. Plants growing and flowers blooming symbolizes new life, so Mary also did this by being true to God. Even after her ascension and to this day, she renews our lives by inspiring and guiding us all. Because of all the plants and flowers that are seen in May, it was very reasonable to make this Mary’s month. Many other Gods in different religions were dedicated to this month, and they mostly celebrated fertility, flowers, blooming, etc.
There are many traditions to honor Mary and her legacy, but the flower crowning is one specifically done at St. Anne’s. During May, each class will have a flower crown, and how it is made or obtained is up to the teacher. Nonetheless, in the morning, one class will go down to the Mary statue near the front of the school entrance on the first floor. They will surround the statue in a semicircle, and two people will place the class’s crown on Mary’s head. When that deed is done, everyone will then proceed to say a certain number of prayers that morning (most likely a Hail Mary). After that is over, the tradition is officially done for that day! Other customs involve Hail Mary recitations at your churches or parishes, or setting up a special altar at your house devoted to Mary. Whether you set up your Mary statue, put flowers next to her picture, or take time to just pray to her often this month, all of these things can be easily done to appreciate her. Hopefully, this article encourages you to do something special for Mary and take time to honor her this May!
"Who is St. Anne?"
March 31, 2023
By: Sydney Abrams
If you’ve been at St. Anne long enough or have been a practicing Christian or Catholic, you’re probably aware of Jesus’s birth and Mary’s perspective. Since she was the one who gave birth to Jesus and said yes to God, Mary is looked upon as a role model for everyone and many people aspire to be like her. However, we don’t really honor her mother as much, who is St. Anne. Unlike Mary, she is less well-known to others and not as honored. But St. Anne still plays a very important role in a lot of people’s lives. Even though we had a quick summary about her on Thursday, March 29, this article will describe to you who St. Anne is, her feast day, and what she is the patron saint of.
Although Mary’s story of how she conceived Jesus and her life in his miracles or known, not much has been found about her childhood, as well as St. Anne’s life or her husband’s, St. Joachim. She was born in Bethlehem, and when she got older, married Joachim in Nazareth. She had two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, who both were told by God that they would conceive two important children. However, it seems that St. Anne knew of Mary’s importance before God spoke to her as an adult. Earlier, Anne had actually spoken to God as well, promising him to give Mary a good childhood to result in a kind and humble woman. This was fulfilled, because she was humble and obedient enough to accept God’s offer of birthing Jesus. However, St. Anne didn’t just do this all for God, but also for plain, unconditional love for her daughter. She was always supportive and taught her many valuable morals, all to make her prepared for her adult life. When Jesus was born later, she still had so much love and cared for him deeply. Even though St. Anne’s feast day is on July 26, she should still be celebrated for her commitment and love for Mary. She is the patron saint of mothers, grandmothers, married couples, and women who are unable to give birth. In photos, she is often seen with Jesus and Mary in her lap or by her side somehow, which can symbolize this. Hopefully this article taught you about St. Anne and how her love never stopped growing under any circumstances.
"Catholic Schools Week – History and Yearly Mass"
January 13, 2023
By: Sydney Abrams
Have you ever passed our school before, only to wonder why everyone was dressing up so weirdly? Students wearing pajamas with slippers equipped, or having crazy hairstyles, which just seems to be so random. However, this is no rebellion or random event, this is simply just a celebration for Catholic Schools Week! For Catholic schools such as St. Anne, this week is very much a big event and celebration to look forward to. But there isn’t only a festive school week, but a significant Catholic Schools Week mass and an open house! Nonetheless, this week may be difficult for others that aren’t Catholic to process, so this is what this article will explain.
The first Catholic school was founded in 1783, in Philadelphia. Though they weren’t as popular at first, they had spread across the country by the 1900s and were well known. Due to the massive contributions made by priests, bishops, teachers, etc, there is a good population of Catholic schools for any child to enter and learn from. However, it wasn’t until 1974 that the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) created the special week for Catholic schools around the country. This is a time where we can appreciate and think about what our school has done for us, including our education, fun events, and making us feel welcomed to our parish. Even if you aren’t a catholic, you can still learn about the religion and its motives to make the world a better place. On January 29, to celebrate the special week, St. Anne encourages everyone to come to the Catholic Schools week mass. Students will be reading and the whole parish is warmly welcomed. Afterwards, there will be a special open house, which everyone can go to. It will be located in the school, and parents and kids can walk around the hallways, observing the projects, assignments, and decorations that the students have worked so hard on. Drinks and snacks will be in the cafeteria for anyone that wants a snack. Many students from the student council will be there to entertain and inform the guests there. Hopefully this article heavily informed you on some of the events for Catholic schools week at St. Anne!
8th Grade Confirmation Mass
"Opening Mass"
September, 9 2022
Sophia Tanaka
Did you have your full dress uniform ready for the opening liturgy mass presented by the 7th grade class on September 13, 2022? Do you remember what mass is about? Maybe you need a quick reminder after summer break, or for people who are new, I’ll tell you what mass is all about.
Mass is when we go to church and pray to God in a particular format which in all is like meditation. Going to mass is also about spending time with God. The Mass is broken up into four parts. The first part is the introductory rite where it begins with a prayer. Followed by the congregation reflecting on things that we may have hurt other people or disobeyed God. The second part of the mass is the liturgy. This is where we listen to the reading of the bible from the old testament, sing a psalm, listen to a second reading, and lastly we stand for the Gospel. After the readings are complete, we then listen to a sermon from Fr. Dan. This is then followed by a set of prayers for people like a family member who is going through a hard time or local issues like for world peace. The third part of the mass is the Eucharist. For this part, Catholics can receive holy communion and non catholics can receive a blessing from the priest. The last part of the mass is the concluding rite, where the priest says a short prayer at the end to ask God to help us with our daily lives and blesses us.
This year’s opening mass was led by our wonderful pastor Fr. Dan. This Mass was the first all school mass of the year and is very special for our student council. During mass we prayed that the student council will assume the position and responsibilities that are needed to receive this position. Gifts for the new teachers and staff, and this year’s Gospel Value “Love” were also presented. The gospel value of “Love”. Love can be love for Jesus, family, or things that make us happy. Throughout the year, we will learn to love like Jesus did. Which is that love is generous and kind.
"The St. Anne Pet Blessing"
October 4, 2022
By: Sydney Abrams
On October 4, a special event took place in the St. Anne school yard. What occurred was a pet blessing, a new tradition that will continue to grant pets blessings and love. This event, which was created by Senior Marco, was devoted to St. Francis of Assisi. Francis is a popular saint that lived in the 11th and 12th century. After he saw a vision of Jesus, he devoted himself to Christ and became a saint. Most importantly, he is the patron saint of ecology and animals, as well as his feast day being on October 4th. Because of that, the pet blessing event was dedicated to him. Anyone in the parish was welcomed to bring their own pets into the yard. While they waited, anyone’s pet that was brought in was blessed by the priest, along with St. Francis of Assisi giving them extra loyalty and strength with their owner as well. There is an enormous poster that celebrates the saint, and chocolate milk and cookies to add luster to the gathering.
I really appreciate this event. I think it was very thoughtful of Senor Marco to think of something like this. Not only does this strengthen the bonds of pets and their owners, but it also strengthens the bond of the St. Anne parish. This event allows students and parents alike to come together and witness the blessing of their pets. Attending this 30 minute celebration demonstrates how devoted the parish is to the school. This is why the pet blessing is special and significant to the parish and pets.
"The Immaculate Conception"
December 9, 2022
By: Sydney Abrams
According to the Bible, God tested two people in the Garden of Eden. These two people were named Adam and Eve. He was going to test their faith and temptation to make a significant decision. However, a sneaky snake tried to trick the two adults with an apple, and they were unfortunately tempted. They ate a poisonous apple, and God punished them for not obeying him. When this happened, this caused all humans to be born with Original Sin. Unless you were baptized, everyone was born with Original Sin, and they couldn’t erase it. However, this all changed when a special, future saint was born, and she would pave the way for many other saints and children of God. Her name was Mary, and she would be the mother of Jesus, saint of human beings and children.
Mary was born in Sepphoris, Israel, and her parents were St. Anne and St. Joachim. Her early childhood was uneventful: she was thoroughly devoted to the church, she had a special cousin named Elizabeth, and her parents were always supportive of her devotion. This was because God had foreseen the future for Mary: He would send an angel down to earth, and it would be as if He himself were asking her a special question. If she accepted God’s request, then she would be saving all of humankind; since Mary was born without Original Sin, it would be possible for her to birth the son of God, Jesus. As we may all know, Jesus Christ is the one who saved us from our sins and allowed us to continue living and be forgiven. Although Mary was very young at the time she was asked this, there was a higher chance of her accepting because of her devotion. Her birth as well is highly celebrated in Christian churches around the world because of its importance. However, the Immaculate Conception is easily confused with the birth of Jesus, so hopefully this cleared your thoughts about the event.
"All Saints’ Day"
November 4, 2022
By: Sydney Abrams
On November 1st, an international holiday called “All Saints’ Day” occurred. Anyone willing to celebrate this day might attend church and find ways to complete acts of kindness. Even at St. Anne's School, there is a special mass held to commemorate the day. However, you could be wondering about this event: Why would it be so important to anyone? Why should we celebrate saints in the first place? And what even IS a saint? All these questions will be answered in this article!
All Saints’ Day is a popular day celebrated all around the globe, especially for followers of God and Christianity. A saint is a follower of God and an avid steward of His people and His creations. St. Ulrich of Augsburg was the first saint to be formally canonized and became a saint in the year 993. From there on, many people became inspired by Jesus as his teachings spread, and devoted themselves telling people about his lessons and beliefs. Most people become saints after they have passed, but many people who are still alive can still follow in Jesus’s footsteps and become saints. This was where “All Saints’ Day” was created. People come together to celebrate all the saints that have lived to teach others about Christianity. They are inspirational stewards and teachers, who have tried their best to make the world a better place. Because of their efforts to act like Jesus did, they are remembered and cherished on this day.
As a Catholic school, St. Anne’s obviously shows their appreciation to these saints as well. Hosted by the 4th grade, a mass was held to thank the saints for their actions. We also gain a bit of knowledge about some of them, too. When the special intentions are being said, the 4th graders will ask a certain saint to bless everyone with strength, self-control, etc. This will most likely be what the saint is a patron of, meaning that they specialize(d) in this category, and demonstrated this trait. Furthermore, many grades within the school do projects on these saints and inform their classmates about them. This allows their peers to successfully learn and be inspired as well. Hopefully, this article has informed you about All Saints’ Day, and how important it is to us!
