Written by Father Al
Read time... 1min 13 seconds

Bells ring in the chapel, and the sound of laughter and an air of anticipation are palpable. Some costumes can be seen among the 150 or so students and the fifteen staff members. Candles are lit. Mary, Joseph, and Innkeepers are present. Songs are sung in English and Spanish. 

 

Las Posadas has been a tradition at St. Anne’s for many, many years. It is both a cultural and timely festivity which honors our heritage in so many ways. The Christian faith of our founding sisters, the specific Hispanic heritage of the sisters of San Juan who came to help the Order of St. Anne, and the continued nature of our efforts to provide inclusion for students whose heritage may be reflected in these festivities are all true to the spirit of our school. The re-enactment of the sacred story leads to parties and a sing-along as a way to close out the school year and serves as a reminder of the origins of Christmas. We move from the middle school, process to the chapel, and squeeze into the spaces there. All of us are in the rooms that make up the chapel, the places within which the sisters prayed, heard the same stories, and sang many of the same songs, and where children have been doing the same since the 1930s.

 

This is just one way in which our community prepares for some rest and other activity in the days to come. We are tied to our past, yet supported to move into the new year knowing that love is at the heart of what we do. The smiles on faces indicate that there is at the heart of this community a sense of care, respect, joy and anticipation that something new is always just around the corner. ¡Feliz Navidad!