Dear Parents,

Tomorrow, grades K-8 will be celebrating Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church (3rd & White Ave.), in honor of our Lady of Guadalupe. Please drop off your children at St. Joseph’s by 7:50 a.m. All students will return to school by way of busses. A brief explanation of the purpose of this Mass and the beautiful imagery that you can expect to see and hear can be found HERE.

I have heard this story over and have recounted it many times. I recall the days in Mexico when my family and I would go to church and dance in Mass for “La Morenita” sweet term of endearment that literally means, little brown lady.  The Aztec Indians did not have much but they did have their rich culture of dance and they used this gift of dance to honor “La Morenita” and in thankfulness for revealing our Lord to them.   Each dance is like a prayer. The “Danza Azteca” in Spanish or “Mi’totiliztli” in Nahuatli is one of the most simple expressions of the artistic and cultural spirit of the native people of Mexico. The dance leader, “Tlaseconqui” and the the dancers are clothed in elaborate and traditional outfits that include polished stones, mirrors, shells and sea pods. They will be wearing headdresses or penachos made of feathers of pheasants, eagles or other birds. Their music will include the rhythmic beating of drums and mandolin-like instruments made of “conchas de armadillo” or armadillo shells, clay flutes, tambourines, rattles made of shells and seeds and metal bells worn around the ankles of the dancers. 

She created a bridge of hope towards God and delivered a message that we are all His children! This is a beautiful message that we all need to hear.

We would like to welcome Justine Benedict who will be joining the HFCS team after Christmas break. She is our new Art teacher for K-8 grade. She received her degree from CMU and has extensive experience teaching art and religious education. We welcome her family to ours.

Mrs. Gipson