Merry Christmas from Saint Cornelius! During this joyous season, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, and the barriers Mary and Joseph overcame to reach Bethlehem and bring our Savior into this world.  To allow your child(ren) and family to celebrate Christmas, Saint Cornelius will be on Christmas break from December 23rd to January 5th. Classes resume on January 6th. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

It’s that time of year again! While it may seem like the school year just started, that doesn’t mean it’s too early to re-register your child(ren) for the 2020-2021 school year at Saint Cornelius. 

Saint Cornelius celebrates the Feast of The Immaculate Conception this December. We celebrate each year on December 8th. This celebration actually honors the conception of the Virgin Mary, despite many thinking it is the conception of her Son, Jesus Christ.  In 1854, Pope Pius remarked: "The most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the saviour of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin." We remember this each day, but most notable each year on December 8.

Advent season is upon us at Saint Cornelius. During this time, we prepare in celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. During this time we pray, use the power of music and create advent wreaths and calendars to count down the days to Christmas.  The advent wreath comprises four candles we light each week. Three candles are purple, with one that is pink that we light on the third Sunday (Gaudete Sunday) of Advent. The candles represent the stages before the coming of Christ. Each week in Advent has a theme. In the first week, we look forward to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In the second week, we recall the teachings of John The Baptist about preparing the way for the Lord. In the third week, we continue to recall John The Baptist’s preachings, this time about the joy associated with the coming of Jesus, our Savior. In the fourth and last week, we focus on Mary, Joseph and the birth of Jesus.  Our teachings in religion classes at Saint Cornelius reflect the themes of the Advent season.