Wednesday of Holy Week has sometimes been called Spy Wednesday, taking it's theme from today's gospel wherein Judas puts his plan of betrayal into action.
It was a perfect day for Holy Cross School Mass and our children rounded out this school session with prayer and communion. Thank you to our student readers who proclaimed the Scripture with dignity and grace!
Most of our 8th graders attended a conference this morning given by Pam Stenzel about the Catholic virtue of chastity. A timely and necessary topic for any age, but especially now when so many of our values are disregarded by so many. Some of our students are shown after the conference asking the presenter questions and giving feedback.
The conference was hosted by the Diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries.
Join us Sunday to march with our Holy Cross Saints' Banners. Canines along the line of march will be given home-baked shamrock-shaped dog biscuits carefully packaged by a team of our eight grade students!
Students and parishioners were treated to a visit from two NJ State Trooper helicopter rescue pilots after the 9:00 AM Mass.
It was an exciting landing and take off, postponed for a little while by fog, but the sky wound up clear and blue for their arrival.
Students were able to ask questions and inspect the copter up close.
More pictures later this afternoon!
We are proud of our 8th grade students who organized a book drive for a school library in Texas devastated by the hurricane. Here are a few of the boys carting the donations to the U.S Post Office in Rumson.
Our new principal, Dr. Mark DeMareo has brought several new faculty members onboard and we are pleased to welcome these experienced and talented teachers:
Mrs. Kathleen Fry, who will be teaching 3A
Mr. Neil Brown, Music
Mrs. Megan Peter, Art.
The faculty is full of enthusiasm for the new year and are looking forward to the return of their students, new and old.
Tomorrow is the mass for the end of the academic year at Holy Cross. Thank you to all the teachers, administrators and parents who made the year so special - a true celebration of our Blue Ribbon status among the nations' schools.
All kinds of summer programs are gearing up though, so relax but don't hibernate! Summer sports camps and academic enrichment programs at Holy Cross abound. So check out the offerings on the school's website.
May Almighty God keep all our students and their families in his providential care over the summer months so that all may return rested, refreshed and ready for school in September.
Holy Cross School children sang in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, recited a decade of the rosary and a litany of some of Mary's many titles and presented flowers brought from their home gardens.
Our first communicants dressed in their communion outfits and presented the flowers along with their 8th grade prayer partners.
It was the first time the statue of Mary on the church shrine was so honored.
Our fountain needed unwrapping and who better to help than 4A. They had perfect mass attendance last week. Congratulations!
Today we celebrated a School Mass on the feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. She is one of our "window saints," in fact, a window given by the school children of Holy Cross.
The children gathered prayers and works of mercy into spiritual bouquets which they presented before the window of St. Elizabeth, a saint revered for her acts of charity and generosity to the poor.
The October weather seemed more like spring and the sun was bright and vivid for the Living Rosary on the grounds of the church today. The sunshine helped the multi-colored T shirts shine, a different color for each decade of the rosary.
Our statue of Mary didn't make the celebration, in fact, she is lost somewhere between China and Rumson. We hope she will join us soon!
Thanks to the school children, their teachers and our parish staff who organized and the orchestrated the event with skill and patience. The parents who come each year to pray with their children teach their children the importance of prayer as much as anything the school can do.
The fence installer has arrived this morning to begin work on a 4 ft. high chain link fence around the playground and wooden board-on-board fence to enclose the air conditioning units and well pump.
When the fence is done, the playground will be restored with new mulch.
School roof replacement off to a busy start.
Pathways marked out for concrete
Foundation of the fountain being poured in preparation for limestone fountain base.
Thanks to those eight graders who helped us move many boxes of our hymnals from the construction trailer to the rectory yesterday morning. The construction trailer and the storage trailer are being removed and the church is obviously not read to store them!
We had the amazing experience of burning palms for Ash Wednesday in a sunny snow flurry!
The oldest and youngest students in our school helped Fr. Manning and Mr. Belluzzi light the fire which made quick work of the dried palms from last year.
Some of the Respect Life posters drawn by our children are displayed in the gym during masses this week and next. Parishioners will bus to Washington DC on Thursday to particiapte in the Annual March for Life.