While Easter festivities may look a little different this year, the reason for celebrating is, of course, the same.  Here are a few ideas that you can do together at home as a family during this Holy weekend:

Watch live-streamed Masses celebrated by SJS graduate (and Mrs. Rafferty’s twin brother) Father Lerner https://stm.yale.edu/

Holy Saturday – 8pm
Easter Sunday – 10am

Watch Live-streamed Masses celebrated by Pope Francis on Vatican News:

Good Friday – 11am
Holy Saturday – 2:30pm
Easter Sunday –

• 4:00 a.m. EDT: Pope Francis will celebrate Easter Mass in Saint Peter’s Square.
• 6:00 a.m. EDT: Pope Francis will offer the Urbi et Orbi: Message and Blessing

Watch Live-streamed Masses on the Archdiocese of Hartford’s own ORTV:

Holy Thursday – 7pm;  The Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper will be celebrated by Most Reverend Leonard P. Blair. It will be live-streamed on ORTV.org and the Office of Radio & Television’s Facebook page.

Good Friday –

• 10 a.m. on WCCT & WCTX – Stations of the Cross
• 3 p.m. – A Good Friday Prayer Service will be conducted by Most Reverend Leonard P. Blair. It will be live-streamed on ORTV.org and the Office of Radio & Television Facebook.

Holy Saturday –

• 10 a.m. on WCCT & WCTX – Holy Saturday Prayer Service
• 7 p.m. – The Easter Vigil will be celebrated by Most Reverend Leonard P. Blair. It will be live-streamed on ORTV.org and the Office of Radio & Television’s Facebook page.

Easter Sunday –

• 5 a.m. on WCCT CW 20 & WCTX MyTV9
• 10 a.m. on WCCT & WCTX
• Noon on WTIC FOX 61

 

Activities:

Pray the Divine Mercy Novena:  The Divine Mercy Novena begins on Good Friday and ends on Divine Mercy Sunday.  The daily intentions can be found HERE.

Make pretzels together.  The word pretzel comes from a Latin word meaning “little reward.” Legend says that a 7th century monk baked left-over strips of bread twisted into the shape of arms folded in prayer as rewards for children who learned their prayers. For an easy recipe, Click here.

Try making a palm cross: Click Here

Make Empty Tomb Rolls:  For an easy recipe, click here. While they bake, read or tell the story of Mary finding the empty tomb. When rolls are cool enough, countdown, have everyone break open their “tombs” and sing your favorite Alleluia song together!

Pray the Stations of the Cross aloud together, taking turns reading.  Use pictures or symbols to mark each station and place around your home or yard. Sing “Were You There” as you process from station to station. Print and video resources are available online, or write your own.

Video Resource: Stations of the Cross for Children

Print Resource: Stations of the Cross for Young Children

Watch the sunset together; process outside after dark; light a candle or bonfire and talk about the significance of the Paschal candle. Talk about how Jesus is light and hope for people, even when they feel alone, or lost or surrounded by darkness.
 
However you choose to celebrate, Saint James School wishes you a wonderful, blessed Easter with your family.
 

Grade k-8 parents, please share the following from Mr. Green with your child/ren:

From Mr. Green for Grades K-3

From Mr. Green for Grades 4-8

Please remember if your child is under the weather on any given day to email Mrs. Sager at lsager@saintjamesschool.net.  This information is passed to the teachers so they know who not to expect in their “class” each day.  Thank you.

As noted in an earlier communication, Saint James School is refunding money from the Munson’s Fundraiser.  Refund checks are being written this week and we anticipate you should be seeing those in your mailbox by the end of next week.  Please keep an eye out.

We have also made the difficult decision not to reschedule the 2020 Soiree.  Although this is such an important fundraiser for our school, we felt there were too many uncertainties surrounding the next several months to plan a new date.  Next week we will be mailing out refunds for tickets that were purchased and returning sponsorship checks.  Please know how grateful we are for your support of this important event and hope we can count on your support again in 2021.

If you sent in cash for the class baskets, many items have already been purchased.  Please know that items that cannot be returned will be used for next year’s event (or perhaps a special raffle in the Fall) and your generous support will not fall by the wayside.  If you personally purchased an item for a basket that you would like back, we will do our best to handle those situations on a case by case basis.  You can email Mrs. Sager at lsager@saintjamesschool.net and she will keep track of that information for us.

In addition, we are refunding the money that families paid for spring soccer and the Father/Son event, the Basketball Banquet, and STEM Club.  You can anticipate a refund in your mailbox by the end of next week for these as well.  If you would like to “donate” these monies to the school instead of receiving a reimbursement, please let Mrs. Sager know know and the school will issue you a tax receipt for your contribution.