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Saints come alive at school feast day celebrations
By Nissa LaPoint
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| Photo by James Baca/DCR St. Catherine of Siena School second-graders, from left, Xavier Carrillo-Barrios, Jaqueline Navarro and Mary Knight, pray during Mass on All Saints’ Day, Nov. 1. |
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| Photo by James Baca/DCR St. James School students, from left, Alexis Barraza, Mateo Lipic, Summer Sheaffer, Zoe Folte-Neul and Hana Efrem model their saint costumes on Oct. 31, All Hallows Eve, commonly called Halloween. |
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| Photo by By Nissa LaPoint/DCR At left, Our Lady of Lourdes School kindergartener Aydin Ornelas strikes a pose as Jesus Christ Oct. 31. At right, more St. James School students. |
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Along the sidewalks of Federal Boulevard and 42nd Avenue, little versions of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Michael the Archangel and other saints processed together while singing to the tune of a trumpet playing “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
Students in preschool through eighth grade at St. Catherine of Siena School in Denver made costumes and dressed as saints or angels on All Saints’ Day for their annual celebration.
They joined other schools in celebrating the feast day Nov. 1 meant to remember the holy heroes recognized by the Catholic Church and inspire children to imitate their holiness.
St. James School in Denver had a similar event Oct. 31 that included a procession of 206 children dressed as saints, a costume contest, games and prizes.
“It’s the biggest turn out we’ve ever had,” said Carol Hovell-Genth, principal of St. James, who added that many parents and grandparents watched the children process around the school and church. “We’re not doing it because we have to, but because it’s a beautiful part of our Catholic faith.”
St. James and other schools started a tradition of remembering the saints to bring back the Christian meaning of Halloween, also known as All Hallows Eve, and to teach the children about All Saints’ Day.
Students at Our Lady of Lourdes School in Denver participated in the first school-wide saint celebration and contest.
Donning a white sheet and wings in the school’s gym, 8-year-old Cade Hughey said he decided to dress as his patron saint, St. Gabriel the Archangel.
“I like St. Gabriel because he’s a great saint to come down and tell someone that they’ll be pregnant,” Hughey said about the angel’s announcement to the Virgin Mary.
Other students dressed in plastic armor and carried a sword to represent St. Michael the Archangel and some girls styled their hair in braids and wore moccasins to represent Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, an Iroquois woman born in New York.
All the children at St. Catherine of Siena School gathered for Mass Nov. 1, which was celebrated by Father Grégoire Vidal. The fourth-graders proclaimed the Scripture readings and the kindergarteners announced the Prayers of the Faithful.
During his homily, Father Vidal told the congregation that it’s important to imitate the saints.
“Yes, you can be a doctor, lawyer … or whatever. But you have to be a saint,” he said. “It is a covenant from God. ‘You shall be holy as I am holy,’ says the Lord. It’s not just a piece of advice. It is serious.”
He further told the children and congregation that they should pray to the Lord and say that they would like to make him happy.
“Happiness is our vocation,” Father Vidal declared. “And happiness is the love of our God. Amen.”
After Mass, Principal Suzanne Scheck of St. Catherine of Siena said the saints are the real models for the faithful as Spiderman and other comic book and film superheroes do not exist.
“Spiderman is great, and we like him,” she said, “but the saints were real. They are our heroes. They are real heroes.”
Principal Rosemary Anderson of Our Lady of Lourdes School said she began the tradition of a school-wide saint celebration and required that students write a report on a saint. She also wrote a letter to parents explaining the Christian history of All Hallows Eve and All Saints’ Day. She asked that all students dress as saints.
“Everyone was open when they learned the history,” Anderson said.
Just as at Our Lady of Lourdes, some children and parents hesitated about the idea of dressing as saints, but over the years the students and parents become more enthusiastic, Hovell-Genth said.
“The first year was tough because they didn’t want to do this,” Hovell-Genth said. “They had a hard time of letting go of the grim reaper, (but) the grim reaper had to go. It’s been four years now and everyone is so excited.”
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