Dear Parents,

As we close the Easter Season and experience the newness of the Holy Spirit through Pentecost, we are renewed in our gifts and commitment to Christ, and our lives in Him.  Our school is a wonderful example of the workings of the Holy Spirit.  The parish school is a ministry of the parish and, as such, has the benefit of having Fr. Mike as our pastor and Mrs. Clem as our principal.  Our desire to walk hand-in-hand with the parish, which serves the community, has manifested itself in our ability to work so closely together for the good of the entire community.  This past school year has been a wonderful example of Christianity in education and action.

Our school has contributed to the North Texas Food Bank, the Marillac Center, and to the needy at Thanksgiving and Christmas, especially by donating items to the Advent Giving Tree.  Our students have given gifts and cards to the residents of local nursing homes, have depicted the Nativity of our Lord for them and for the parish.  We have picked up trash to show our desire to be good stewards of the earth that God has given us.  Our entire student body does service hours each year and our eighth graders do at the very least 30 hours during their eighth grade year.  We had four students who qualified and were admitted into the ’100 Club,’ denoting more than 100 hours of service done during their 8th grade year.  Our school is amazing!  Our students are hard-working, and our teachers are dedicated!  We are all very fortunate to be part of such a wonderful community!  May God continue to bless St Elizabeth’s and extend the grace for her to be a beacon of goodness and academic excellence!

Have a beautiful and restful summer.  Come back safe and ready for another great year!!

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Dear Parents,

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Alleluia!  He is Risen!!  May the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ live within each and everyone now, in this Easter Season, and always!

Our students did an amazing job of depicting the Passion of Jesus before Easter.  PK, Kindergarten and also the 8th grade worked very hard to bring meaning to our lives today by expressing what Jesus and those around him experienced so long ago.

The Living Stations of the Cross were also well represented by the third grade who helped us to walk the Way of the Cross on Holy Thursday morning.

The sixth graders shared in a Seder Meal, which celebrates the experiences of the Israelites who were led out of slavery in Egypt through the faithfulness of Moses and his brother, Aaron.  They were reverent and respectful as they learned about this celebratory meal.

We are very proud of all of the student efforts and also the teachers who helped your children to bring these devotions to life!  We are also very pleased and proud of all of the Religious activities and devotions in which our students take part at St Elizabeth Catholic School.  All of our students benefit from these activities, which help bring them to a closer relationship with God.  If you haven’t had an opportunity to join us for any of these, please try to make plans to join us for the May Crowning.  More information to follow.

**CATECHETICAL CORNER**

In the Old Testament, the story of the Exodus is so significant that everything written in the Bible before Exodus  leads us to that salvific event. Everything written after it, in the Old Testament stems from it.  We are reminded of our own journey through the waters of baptism, freeing us from the slavery to sin and evil, when we remember the journey of the Israelites through the desert, passing through the waters of the Red Sea, in the Book of Exodus.   Salvation comes to us through Jesus Christ, and as everything in our lives lead us to the monumental moment of Baptism, we should also remember to live in such a way that the rest of our lives also stem from it.

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Happy Lent!  “Happy?” you may say, but truly this Holy Season is a gift from God!  We are able to recognize ourselves as the flawed human beings that we are, and have the means to be made whole again through Our Lord, Jesus Christ, especially in the sacrament of Reconciliation.  In fact, the second graders received this sacrament last Saturday for the first time, and our school had made a point of praying for them and giving them cards of congratulations and encouragement.  It is a wonderful thing to see the entire school community come together to honor young students as they take solid faith-filled steps in their lives.  These same 2nd graders will be receiving Holy Communion for the first time also, this year, in the month of May.  Please remember to keep them in your prayers!

The Stations of the Cross are another way to recognize the solemnity of the Lenten Season.  Every Friday at 2:00pm, Stations of the Cross are said in the main church, and the school will attend again on March 23, when we return from Spring Break.  Please feel free to join us in this holy devotion.

Palm Sunday is April 1st this year, and the 10am Mass is the Mass where the 8th graders will depict the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  Our 8th graders will also present this during the Friday, March 30, Mass at 8:00am.  Please make plans to join us on at least one of these days.  Be sure to bring your kleenex!

Don’t forget to consider coming to the Triduum Services on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.  Several of our students will be received into the Church at the Easter Vigil.  Please make plans to support them in their walk of faith!

As you continue with your Lenten walk this year, please know that prayers are said for you and your families each and every day.  You are not alone, but are supported!

** CATECHETICAL CORNER**

Did you know that Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation?  It is a day that begins the Lenten Season.  Catholics mark this day by going to Mass and receiving ashes, to remind us that, “we are dust and to dust we will return.”

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Welcome back to school after a wonderful Christmas vacation!  I hope that your time away from school was as blessed and fulfilling as mine was!

Catholic Schools Week is coming right up, January 29 – February 3.  The theme this year is Faith, Academics, Service.  We will open the week with 10am Mass on Sunday and have a prayer service on Monday morning at 9am.  It is really great to see Academics sandwiched in between the two important aspects of every good Christian, faith and service.  Here at St Elizabeth’s we put great emphasis on building our students with a living faith that can sustain the trials of everyday living.  They are learning to be a saint right where they are, in their lives as children.  This is a very valuable perspective for our students; to realize that faith is something we live, not just something we are tested on in class.  We also take the cue from our patroness, St Elizabeth of Hungary, whose church and hospital ruins I was privileged to visit on my recent trip to Marburg, Germany.  St Elizabeth put the poor and needy ahead of her own comforts and was desirous of doing the Will of God completely in her life; service was her way of contributing to the community and the Church.  We, too, promote service as a way of life and do a great job of instilling this concept in our students.  Please talk with your children about the service that they do, and let them know that we are the hands, feet and voice of Christ on earth.  We really do make the difference!

As we return to worship together as a community, we turn to the Church calendar to see that we have come again to Ordinary Time, the time that is counted between the Christmas season and the next great season of the Church, Lent.  Ordinary Time is a time to allow ourselves to rest in Christ and grow in his grace.  The Church color green represents this season and reminds us that growth in good and necessary.  We prepare ourselves in this holy season as one who is anticipating the experience of  nature in its finest moments.  It can be compared to a time when you, perhaps, have taken a nice long walk on a beautiful day and were aware enough of God in nature and you were transformed.  Ordinary Time is our time to open ourselves to God and ask for the grace of growth in Him and with our neighbor.  In this holy time of the year, before Ash Wednesday and the sacrifices of Lent, help your children to realize the beauty and majesty of God in your everyday life.  Whether it is the beauty of your children or talent that God has given them, or something that is delightful and remarkable in nature, God is here presenting us with His goodness in every way!

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Happy Advent!

As we begin the new Church year, we turn our attention to the comings of Christ; both as an infant in the manger, and also in glory at the Second Coming.  Our preparation for this holy season traditionally includes an Advent wreath marking each week with anticipation and joy, and with Advent calendars which count down the days until Christmas.  Both practices help us to stay focused on Jesus.  But there are other events and devotions which can also help to turn our minds to Christ and all the joy of the Season.  The St. Elizabeth Christmas Program, under the direction of Mrs Kuterbach, is a great way to see how children can lead the way in our desire to remember to joy of the Christmas Season.  Our fifth graders traditionally depict the Jesse Tree and will do so under the tutelage of Ms. Vercillo.

The new translation of the Mass began the First Sunday of Advent and calls us to a greater devotion to the Mass.  Your child should have brought home a Mass pamphlet entitled, The Revised Mass Texts.  This pamphlet was offered to the school community in an attempt to help make the transition to the revised Mass a smooth one.  Please let me know if you have any questions and I will do my best to answer them, or will find out for you.

The month of January will include Catholic Schools Week, and we will be sending out the schedule and information in the upcoming weeks.

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Dear St Elizabeth Community,

I offer you peace!  As we advance through October and the Halloween Carnival, we come to November.  Please remember that we will have Mass on Tuesday, November 1, All Saint’s Day.  All faculty, staff and students are being asked to dress as their patron saint, or Confirmation saint.  This is not a chance to dress in any costume, but an opportunity for students to research and find out about the saint(s) who have been praying for them their entire lives!  This is a precursor to the Saint Game which will take place on Friday, November 18.  More information will follow.

I would also like to remind everyone that the New Mass will be instituted on the First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011.  We will be sending home a pamphlet on the New Mass during the month of November for families to familiarize themselves with the changes in the Mass.  These changes are few and conform more closely to the actual translation of the Latin in the Roman Missal.  Please let me know if you have questions about this.  I will be happy to help you!

My prayers are for you and your families and your intentions.  Please also pray for me.

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8th grade:  Congratulations to the 8th graders for their outstanding spirit and commitment to the Hike for Life!  They did an awesome job, and they should be proud of themselves, I am certainly proud of them!  As we move on through October and into November, we will focus on The Models of the Church and the contribution Avery Cardinal Dulles gave to the Church during Vatican II.  We will move on to The Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit.

7th grade:  The 7th graders have made great progress in their own understanding of Jesus in their lives.  We are studying the difference between Reason and Faith.  We will move on to Divine Revelation in Faith and from there onto an in-depth study of Creation.  Scripture plays an important role in this study.

6th grade:  We are studying the Rosary and each of the mysteries through the end of October, whereupon we will take time to focus on the real meaning behind Halloween and the Day of the Dead.  In November we will begin to focus on the ancient view of the earth and how it differs from our modern view.  We will also begin our study of Creation by visiting the two Creation stories in the Bible and focusing on the Biblical Truth that God made everything and that human beings top the ladder of creation only after God and the angels.

5th grade:  The Rosary has been our focus and understanding why we should say it and discovering its importance in our lives.  Our project will depict each mystery in the life of Jesus and Mary.  Upon our completion of this, we will focus on The Creed.  We will also look at the ‘new’ words of the Nicene Creed from the New Mass to see how it has changed.  We will find out what we really do believe, and what we must believe to call ourselves Catholic.  We will segue into our study of the Trinity after that as we focus more completely upon God as Three Persons in One God.

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Welcome back to a wonderful new school year!   We have been working very hard and have begun the year with several Religious devotions and sacraments.

We began school Masses on Friday, August 19.  We invite all parents to join us each Friday at the 8:00 am Mass, where students lead the Mass.  It is wonderful to see them growing and maturing with faith and confidence on the altar.  We applaud our many altar servers who are new and also those returning who are dedicating their time to serving the Church.

I would like to to take a moment to remind our students who are not Catholic to refrain from receiving the Holy Eucharist during the Mass.  Each year we have students who are not Catholic, and are either curious or  interested in fitting in with their friends, receive Holy Communion.  This is unfortunate since the student who should not receive Communion in the Catholic Church is usually not aware that their family would not want them to do.  We ask that all parents remind their children to only receive Holy Communion if they have received their First Holy Communion in the Catholic Church.

We also participate in the sacrament of Reconciliation on Tuesdays from 10:30-11:15.  Each class is usually scheduled to receive Reconciliation at least twice in the year.  We welcome parents to receive the sacrament as well.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the 9-11 Prayer Service by sending in their $1.00 for the LED flameless candles.  They were beautiful on the altar rail, as well as a symbol of the Light of Christ underneath our ‘We Work for Peace and Justice’ flag adorned with the crucifix.  Your children were somber, sincere and reflective during this prayer service.  It was beautiful.

The month of September is devoted to Mary as the Mother of Sorrows, and September 8th is Our Lady’s birthday.  Our students made spiritual bouquets, and a garland to honor Our Mother.

Every Wednesday the entire school has been joining together in the church to practice the Mass songs and to focus on specific Mass practices.  We have improved our Mass singing voices and have shown greater respect during the ‘Sign of Peace,’ putting the kneelers up and down, and putting our books away!  It is a wonderful thing to have this time to practice for our Holy Mass.  The month of October is the month of the Rosary, and each Wednesday, in addition to practicing Mass songs, we will recite the rosary.  All parents are welcome.  We will begin at 2:15 each Wednesday afternoon.

First Friday’s we have the blessed opportunity to go to Adoration in the chapel.  Students learn and practice what it means to be in the presence of God almighty in the form of the consecrated Host, which as Catholics, we believe contains the fullness of the Sacrament, the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus.  Our student genuflect on two knees and spend time praying and contemplating God and His Life in us.

I am very happy to say that this year is a blessing to us all and that the entire school community has been receptive to the many devotions, prayer services and sacraments that we have participated in thus far.  We welcome all parents to join us any time that you are able to experience just a portion of the Religious Education that is afforded your child at St Elizabeth’s.  Please let me know if I can be of service to you this year.  I welcome your emails:  bbelcher@saintspride.com

God bless you during this school year, and always.

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As we close down this 2010-2011 school year, I would like to offer all St Elizabeth families my prayers for your summer; for your safety while traveling and your family time together.  May you have time to relax, reconnect with your family and spend quiet time with God.  We look forward to seeing you next year!

***CATECHETICAL CORNER***

Please join us for Vacation Bible School this summer, July 18-22, 2011, 8am-12:30 pm.  This is an excellent opportunity for your children who are going into 8th grade to get service hours, and it is also a great way to connect with families at both the school and the parish.

Keep your child’s spirituality strong by enrolling them after all Masses on June 25/26, July 2/3 ,  July 9/10, or July 16/17!

All those wishing to volunteer should be prepared to come to the Volunteer Meeting on June 4, at 10am.  Should you have any questions, please contact Kathy Price at 214-331-4328, or at kprice@buz.net We look forward to seeing you!!

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As we come to the end of this holy Lenten Season, we are tempted to give up our sacrificial commitments since we can see the light at the end of the spiritual tunnel.  EASTER!!  But we should hang in there for just a little while longer.  Also, we should consider that if we have not been able to stick with our Lenten promises, we should simply begin again – it is never too late to recommit to Christ and His goodness!

We will be having Easter Egg hunts for the lower grades during Easter Week, which is the week after Easter Sunday.  The teacher will stagger times for the students to have their Easter Egg fun!!  We are also looking ahead to First Communion for the 2nd graders on May 7 at 10:30 am.  Please continue to keep these sweet children in your prayers.

Our school has been participating in Stations of the Cross and the 3rd grade will lead us all in the Living Stations of the Cross on Holy Thursday morning, April 21 at 8:00am.  We invite all parents to join us in this beautiful devotion.

As a reminder, all students in Middle School are encouraged to attend the Triduum, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil Mass, April 21, 22, and 23.  They are able to receive up to 15 points of extra credit for attending these three high holy days of our Church.  By coming to St Elizabeth’s they only need to see me and stay for the entire service.  If they go to another parish or church, then they will need to write a paragraph about what they saw, and their parent must sign it for them to receive up to 5 points of extra credit.  Please remind your children that the Triduum is considered to be one Mass celebrated over a three day period of time, and as such they would benefit from participating in the entire 3 days.  However, even if they attend only one day, they may receive credit.

****Catechetical Corner ****

The word Triduum means “3 days” and is a Mass which encompasses all three days.  We understand the 3 roles of Christ which we are baptized into; priest, prophet and king.

Holy Thursday celebrates the institution of the priesthood showing service, and consecration.  Though the laity does not share in the ministerial priesthood, as baptized members of the Church, we are part of the royal priesthood and see service as our privilege and duty.

Good Friday reminds us that virtually all prophets of the Old Testament were killed by those who did not want to hear what they had to say.  The word prophet means, “one who speaks for God,” and these were the brave souls who knew that they would put themselves at risk by preaching God’s Truth.  We, as Christians, honor the way to salvation which is through the cross, and through our acceptance of possible persecution as we also live God’s Truth.  We venerate, or honor, the cross as we approach the altar barefooted in order to kiss the cross, which Christ modeled as our means to salvation. This is the only day in the Church year where priests do not consecrate hosts, and with the church bare, it shows what our lives would be like without the Holy Eucharist, as the faithful process behind the priest as he removes the Eucharist to an altar of repose outside of the church building.

And finally, the Easter Vigil recognizes the kingship of Christ and our share in this as RCIA members become fully initiated through Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist.  We share the roles of priest, prophet and king through  Baptism and understand ourselves to be heirs to the Kingdom and, as such, are held to a higher moral standard.

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*”All is grace…We should adore God’s will whatever it may be.”*
*     –St. Therese of Lisieux*

These words of St Therese help us to see that both our sunny Texas days and our winter snow days were both fun and grace-filled, even if a little bit crazy from time to time!  It was great to have a few days off, and then also to get back in the classroom to continue with the good work of the year!

We hope that you enjoyed our Catholic School’s Week activities, and the hugs and kisses that you received at dismissal from the 7th grade.  Our canned food drive  gave us hundreds of cans to feed the hungry and we are proud to be able to be counted among those in the Diocese of Dallas who are great contributors to Oak Cliff Aid.

Our 8th grade continues to prepare for Confirmation with a rehearsal/retreat on Saturday, February 26 from 9-12noon.  Confirmation will take place on Sunday, March 6, at the 12 noon Mass.  Please keep these students in your prayers as they move closer to becoming fully initiated adults in the Church.  The 2nd grade will also receive the sacrament of Reconciliation on Saturday, March 19 at 10:30.  Please keep the second graders in your prayers.

We look forward to Lent with Ash Wednesday on March 9.  We will receive ashes at the 8:00am Mass and hope that you will be able to join us.  Our calendar does not allow us to participate in Stations of the Cross until almost the end of the month.  Stations of the Cross at the school are always on Fridays, at 2pm, and the dates are as follows:

March 25   (5th – 8th)

April 1  (PK-4th)

April 15  (5th-8th)

We will have a Living Stations of the Cross, led by the 3rd grade, on Thursday, April 21 at 8:00 am.  We hope that you will be able to join us for this beautiful devotion.

**CATECHETICAL CORNER: Answering some questions about our faith**

Why do we bow to the altar, but genuflect in front of  the tabernacle?

We bow, or reverence the altar when we pass it to honor the bones of the martyrs and saints that are found in each altar stone.  This practice emerged when early Christians would pray near the graves of the martyrs in hope that they would receive the same grace, strength and fortitude that the martyrs showed in time of persecution.

We genuflect on our right knee in recognition that God is our King.  Established in the early medieval days, subjects of the king would bow, with eyes averted, as he passed by in a carriage or on horseback.  While in the presence of the king, a person would never turn their back on him, ask him a direct question or look him in the eye, unless he was a Lord.

Today we still follow the physical expression of understanding that God is our King, and by genuflecting towards the tabernacle, we are acknowledging His actual Presence.  We do not need to avert our eyes; quite the contrary, we are encouraged to look at him and know him; and we can even receive him in our hands to consume His Body and Blood.

Now that the tabernacle is moved from the center altar in most Diocese of Dallas churches, we make a point of bowing towards the altar, but should remember that Christ is present in the Eucharist and we should still genuflect when we pass the tabernacle.

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Welcome back to school! I hope that everyone had a peaceful and blessed Christmas break! We are off to a wonderful start for 2011! I would like to introduce CATECHETICAL CORNER to my blurb, where I focus on one explanation of Catholicity each month. Please see below for a short reflection on the feast of the Epiphany which we have celebrated earlier in this month.

Our all-school service project, Super Kids/Super Sharing, began on January 4 and will continue until January 18, as we join forces with the Super Bowl Committee and the Dallas Cowboy’s to collect sports equipment, board games, books and school supplies to donate to the needy in North Texas. As a thank you, the Dallas Cowboy’s have opened their stadium at reduced ticket prices ($9) so that families may have the opportunity to take a self guided tour. This will take place on Thursday, January 20, from 11:30 – 2:00. All families are asked to FAX their money and ticket request directly to the the following number FAX 817-892-4670. The deadline to purchase tickets is Wednesday, January 12, 2011. Parents are responsible for their own transportation, tickets and that of their children. They are also responsible for their children while they take their own guided tour. All students must come to school that day and then be picked up to go to the stadium. They will be excused from class if they write a paragraph about their educational experience, have their parent sign in and turn it in to their homeroom teacher the following day. It will truly be an exciting day!

At the end of the month we invite you to join us for the Opening Catholic School’s Week Mass on Sunday, January 30, at 10am. All students who wear their Friday Mass uniform to this Mass will receive a dress down day on Monday, January 31. We have many wonderful activities planned for this great week which celebrates our collective commitment to Catholic Education!  Thank you for the sacrifices you have made for your children and their education!

Peace!

CATECHETICAL CORNER: The feast of the Epiphany,

January 6 is the feast of the Epiphany and the last day of the 12 Days of Christmas. It is the day the 3 Wise Men, Kings or Magi (whatever you wish to call them) came to adore Christ. It signifies that Christ came for all mankind, not just the Jews. When they left after adoring Jesus, they skirted Jerusalem and King Herod. In scripture it says that, “they departed for their country by another way.” (Mt 2:12b). This by another way tells us not only that did not pass through Jerusalem, but that they personally were changed and went home thinking differently about God and the meaning of their lives.

This feast day, though not celebrated the way ‘we used to,’ is a wonderful feast to contemplate. The word epiphany means “a manifestation of God; a revelation.” Take time today, if you can, to ask God to reveal Himself to you. I am sure that even if you can only take a minute or two for this spiritual exercise, you may go home tonight by another way.

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Happy Advent!

This is a time to reflect on our lives and how we will await the coming of Christ.  If you are like most people you hate to hurry up just to wait; we do this may times, such as, on the highway as rush hour begins and when we finally make it to the doctor’s office after preparing everything just so we can be away from our work for an hour or two.   But Advent is a time to contemplate the two comings of Christ; as a baby in the manger on Christmas Day, and in His glory at the Second Coming.  We see these events and in our heart of hearts, we desire to be ready to greet Him, to prepare ourselves and be at our best.  We clean and decorate our homes for Christmas, and we should also consider cleaning and preparing our souls for Christ to come more significantly into our hearts.  Going to the sacraments, especially Reconciliation, is a great way to prepare our hearts to meet God and connect with our families – to be ready to see Christ in others and know him in his comings.  Please note that the St Elizabeth parish Reconciliation services will take place on both December 15 and 22.  We hope to see you there!

Thanks to everyone who kept the 8th grade in your prayers earlier in December as we spent three days at The Pines in preparation for Confirmation which will take place on March 6, at the 12 noon Mass.   I hope that you have had an opportunity to spend time speaking with your child or visiting the school as so many wonderful lessons are being taught and learned about our faith and this Holy Season.  Please join the 1st grade class at the Children’s Christmas Eve Mass at 7:00pm, on December 24, as they depict the Gospel nativity story.  It is a beautiful thing to see our children so reverently honoring Our Lord’s birthday.

Students have made special cards, written letters to service men and women, and have sung at the local nursing homes in order to celebrate the Good News of our savior’s birth.  Thank you for sharing your children with us at St Elizabeth’s and for giving them a firm foundation in faith in order for us to build upon your good work.

Have a blessed and holy Christmas and New Year vacation.  I wish you peace.

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Hello, everyone!

Can we possibly be at the end of the first quarter already? I am amazed at how quickly the time has gone by! I hope that you have been able to join us for at least one Mass so far this year, or possibly the Rosary which each department has said on Wednesday’s during the month of October. We have also shown our respect for LIFE and all LIFE issues through our Hike last month, posters around the school highlighting different aspects of life from birth to the elderly. Mrs Porter and Mrs LeRosen have also spearheaded the Military Prayer Project which focuses on our loved ones who are serving in the Armed Forces either at home or abroad. Lastly we have made a concerted effort to bring bullying to light with our students to help them see that there really is something that can be done when someone bullies you or you see someone else being bullied. We have actively been making LIFE a priority over this past month.

We head into November as we learn about twelve saints whom we have not learned about before. Our annual Saints Game will take place on November 19 at 2:00. We hope that many of our parents will be able to join us! This game is fun, shows how much your children have learned this year, and so many students get to participate!  Students will also be in the Mass procession that morning! It is quite wonderful! Our second graders will lead us in an all-school Thanksgiving Prayer Service on Tuesday, November 23 at 9:00am.

We will head into Advent shortly after Thanksgiving and begin the new Church year. Please pray for us at St Elizabeth’s and we will continue to pray for you and your intentions. All intentions sent to my attention are mentioned at Mass on the closest Friday to the time I received your email. Please be sure to contact me at bbelcher@saintspride.com I will be happy to add your intention to our list.

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to a new and exciting year of learning at St Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School. We have gotten off to a great start in fulfilling our baptismal promises of seeking Christ and bringing Him to other people. We are very happy that you have chosen to send your child(ren) to St Elizabeth’s, and we will do everything in our power to build upon the wonderful foundation of Christ that you have begun in your home. We are here to help, encourage, affirm, pray, and guide your child to a greater understanding of the love of God and the need for us to show this love to one another.

You will find information on my website which pertains to the Religious instruction and activities associated with St Elizabeth’s. These schedules include the Mass, Reconciliation and Religious Activities schedules for the 2010-2011 school year. Please go to www.belcher@saintspride.com in order to print these schedules. (Please keep in mind that the Reconciliation Schedule may change and is subject to the needs of the parish.)

Friday, September 24, from 9:30 – 11:30, directly after Mass, is the annual Hike for Life. This Hike is a major service project for 8^th grade, and we are accepting donations to support this worthy cause. Please join us to help moms and babies by walking if you are able.

We hope that this is a fruitful year and a blessed one for you and your family. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions, or constructive comments. I will continue to pray for you and your families as we walk this school year journey together. bbelcher@saintspride.com.

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Happy Lent!  I hope that everyone has had an opportunity to dive deeply into this season.  As you know, the sacrifices we make give courage and spiritual strength to those who will be coming into the Church this Easter season.  What a beautiful way to say, “Welcome!”

Congratulations are in order for both the 8^th graders, who celebrated the sacrament of Confirmation on Sunday, February 14, and the 2^nd graders who celebrated the sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time on Saturday, March 6.  These students have prepared long and hard to receive the fullness that is Jesus Christ.  We are so proud of them!

Mark you calendars to join us at the school’s Friday Mass on March 26 at 8:00, as the 8^th graders depict the Passion of Jesus on that day.  They will also do the same at Palm Sunday 10am Mass on March 28.  This traditional depiction is always a moving tribute to the goodness of God as He sent his Son to proclaim the Kingdom and save us from our sins.  We hope that you will join us!

Easter is on Sunday, April 4, and as a reminder, all Easter egg hunts will take place on Tuesday, April 6.  We respect and honor the Lenten Season as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of the Lord.  Thank you in advance for your understanding and support of our Religious Education program.

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As we prepare for Christmas and await the birth of Our Lord, and His Second Coming, I wish you all a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!  Last Friday, Fr. Ben blessed candy canes for the school in honor of St Nicholas Day this week.  All of the students were delighted to have the holiday treats.

Please pray for the 8^th graders as they are participating in their Confirmation/Team Building retreat at the Pines Wednesday, Dec 9 – Friday, Dec 11.

The fifth grade will lead the entire school in a Jesse Tree celebration on Friday, Dec. 18 at 9:00 am.  The first grade will be acting out the Gospel at the 7 pm Mass on Christmas Eve at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church.  There are so many other wonderful activities planned at this time of the year, and all of the students are involved in one way or another.

Please don’t forget the Giving Tree which has a deadline of this Friday, Dec. 11.  Please bring in a new or gently used toy to the 8 am Mass and bring it up to the altar at the Presentation of the Gifts.  These will be collected and given to needy families in the area.

Again, let me wish you a safe and holy Holiday Season.

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Hello, St Elizabeth families!  Happy November!

This is the month of All Saints, and All Souls. We ask everyone to continue to pray for those in our lives who are sick, are adversely affected by our economy, have some kind of special need, or those who have died.  We especially remember Phillip Davis, dad of Trey Davis-Hale, and ask you to continue to keep him and his family in your prayers as they face this difficult time.

This month also ushers in our Saint’s Game, to be held on Friday, November 20 at 2pm in the gym. All of the classes will take part in the saint’s procession to be held on that same morning, at the 8:00 am Mass. We hope that as many of you, who are able, will join us to celebrate those who have officially been recognized as saints in the Catholic Church! It is always a wonderful procession and game! Be sure to mark your calendars for these great events.

A few other dates to remember would be the followingTuesday, November 17, the feast of St Elizabeth of Hungary – students will receive a free piece of ‘feast day’ cake at lunch

• Friday, November 20, Saint’s Mass procession (8am) and Saint’s Game (2pm)
• Tuesday, November 24, Thanksgiving Prayer Service, 9 am, 2nd grade leads the school
• Monday, November 30, The Giving Tree begins for the school community – please bring new unwrapped toys to Mass on Fridays and your child will bring these gifts up and place them under the tree in the sanctuary.

We encourage families to write their special intentions on the slips of paper outside of the front office and place them in the basket to be brought up to the altar during each Mass.  We consider your intentions to be private and will be prayed for silently; however, people for whom you’d like prayers should be directed to me or your child’s Religion teacher. The ‘basket’ intentions will eventually be used as kindling for the Easter fire during the Triduum.

As we move closer to the end of the month, to Thanksgiving and to Advent, I wish you and your families a blessed and peace-filled holiday season.

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Hello, all, and a hearty 2009-2010 welcome to you all!!  We look forward to a wonderful year with all of your children.

I would first like to offer my aid to anyone who may be in need of clarifications or questions answered about our Religious Education here at St Elizabeth.  Our goal is for your child to feel welcome and to know the love of Jesus Christ each day here at St. E’s.  Please let me know if you have questions or constructive comments to share.  I can be reached by email: bbelcher@saintspride.com.

Each Friday, at Mass, our classes offer prayers and petitions to be included with the gifts which are brought to the altar.  We would like to open this opportunity to all families by placing an Intentions basket on the round table outside of the office.  On that table you will also find a pad of paper that you may use to write your own petitions to be offered at Mass.  No one will read these petitions, they are from your heart and that will be respected.  God knows what you desire and how ardently you pray, so we would like to offer our prayers with yours for the good of all our St Elizabeth students, parents, faculty and staff.

Lastly, in honor of Respect Life Month, please begin sending in pictures of your families, any service men and women, grandparents, babies, etc.  We are constructing a ‘tree of life’ made from the pictures of the people in our lives, along with the handprints of all of our school children and staff.  Feel free to send in handprints from anyone in your family who does not already go to St E’s.  We will be constructing this tree next week, for the month of October, when the Hike for Life will take place.  Just send your pictures with your name, child’s grade and put it in an envelope marked:  Mrs Belcher, Tree of Life.  I look forward to seeing as many pictures as possible of our families so that we are all united for Life!

Below, please find the Mass schedule for the year.  This is subject to change since sometimes issues arise that are out of our control.  Please be sure to check with your child’s teacher to confirm Mass dates for your child.

• September 4^th – 8B; 11^th – 4A; 18^th – 4B; 25^th – 7A
• October 2^nd – 8A; 9^th – 5A; 16^th – 6A; 30^th – 6B
• November 6^th – 3A; 20^th – 3B
• December 4^th – 8A; 8^th (Tues) – 8B; 11^th – 4A; 18^th – 4B
• January 8^th – 7A; 15^th – 7B; 22^nd – 2B; 29^th – 6A
• February 5^th – 6B; 12^th – 3A; 17^th (Wed) – 5A; 19^th – 3B; 26^th – 7B
• March 5^th – 8A; 12^th – 1A; 25^th – 1B
• April 9^th – 2B; 16^th – 8B; 23^rd – 7A; 30^th – 7B
• May 7^th – 1A; 14^th – 1B; 21^st – KA; 28^th – Faculty

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