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Feast Day Celebration
October 3, 2024
St. Theodora Guerin
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Friends,
One of the many blessings we enjoy at SJ23 is our association with our namesake and patron saint, Pope St. John XXIII. Each year on October 11, we mark his feast with a day of devotion and celebration. Two years ago, we began the tradition of conducting a Eucharistic Procession following the Mass. Pope St. John XXIII had a great devotion to Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist and called the whole Church to share in that devotion. “In the Blessed Sacrament, a heavenly school is open to you,” he wrote, “with the best teacher one can possibly imagine, Jesus Christ himself.”
Each of our Houses participates in the procession by preparing an altar honoring the individual House patron saints. This is an opportunity for our Houses to come together and celebrate each other, remembering that each House saint has a connection back to our patron, who points us towards Jesus Christ. The procession will stop at the five different altars, and we will pray together.
Parents and friends are invited to attend and participate in both the liturgy and the procession, although our space is limited. Please register here before 6:00 pm on Wednesday, October 9, if you plan on attending.
Since this day of celebration falls on a Friday this year, there is no late start—students must report to school by 8:00 a.m. There will also be an early dismissal for the students at 12:30 p.m.
The schedule for the day is below:
8:00 – 8:20 am No late start – students arrive as usual and report to House Homerooms
8:20 – 8:30 am The community assembles for Mass
8:30 – 9:30 am Mass celebrated by Fr. Jonathan Mitchican
9:30 – 10:15 am Eucharistic Procession and Benediction
10:20 – 10:30 am Students return to House Homerooms
10:30 am Fun and games begin
11:00 – 11:45 am Food and snacks available
11:55 – 12:25 pm Students v. Faculty skills contest in the Competition Gym
12:30 pm Dismissal
More information for the day:
- The student dress code is the 20th Anniversary t-shirt students received this week – over jeans or uniform bottoms. Mass dress is not required.
- Food and snacks will be available – students should be prepared with some money for snacks if they wish.
- There will be no after-school care. Students playing on sports teams will be notified by their coaches about adjusted practice schedules.
Yours in Christ,
Joseph Noonan
Principal
St. John XXIII College Preparatory
St. John XXIII College Preparatory forms the hearts and minds of young men and women in a Christ-centered community dedicated to academic excellence, the pursuit of virtue, and service to others in the Tradition of the Catholic Church.
