It has been a full, fun and fruitful week for all at St. Francis of Assisi School. The planning and preparing proved to be worth the effort! The many activities will long be remembered by Mrs. Lewis, Faculty, Staff, Parents and Students. The last day of this busy week, coincided with the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple. We also marked commemoration of St. Blaise which fell on Saturday. These wonderful events in the Church in themselves, would make for a full school mass. However, February 2 was also the 58th anniversary of ordination for our own Fr. Camillus. More to celebrate!
Each class presented a candle bearing the names of all the students in that grade. The Faculty and Staff presented a candle as well. Brother Patrick awaits the arrival of the Entrance Procession and receives the candles and displayed them before the altar.
Fr. Cam narrated the reenactment of his ordination during the homily of the Mass. 3 sixth grade young men took on the roles of Bishop, attending priest and ordination candidate. They lent great joy and dignity to the dramatization.
Fr. Cam chanted the Litany of the Saints as Daniel lay prostrate in the middle aisle of the church representing the offering of self to God. Fr. Cam is wearing the vestment his mother sewed for him to wear at his First Mass.
The “Bishop” then proceeded with the questioning, the anointing of the hands with oil and the vesting. Each part of the rite was enacted by our young men as Fr. Cam had done 58 years ago on February 2, 1960 in West Chicago, IL
Mrs. Lewis, our Principal, presented a card of congratulations made by Sister Kathleen. All the students, faculty and staff signed this special greeting.
Following communion, the first graders sang a beautiful arrangement of Simeon’s Canticle with hand motions. It was a holy moment of thanksgiving for all.
After the final blessings Brother Craig and Mrs. Lewis held the blessed candles as each one in church came up for the blessing of St. Blaise. “Through the intercession of Saint Blase, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Throughout this time of blessing, the students sang many verses of “This Little Light of Mine” with much joy and praise in their voices and in their hearts. We pray that they will continue to let their lights shine all their days!