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What’s Happening
Bishop Schlert: Advent Advice
Bishop Alfred Schlert recently shared some thoughts on Advent in an article in the AD Times. He said, “In Advent we mediate on Christ’s return, whether that is at the end of time or, for each one of us, at the moment of our own death. We take stock of our life and prepare for the real possibility that Jesus will come when we least expect it.” You can read the full story by clicking this link: An Advent Q&A with Bishop Schlert | Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown (allentowndiocese.org)
Christmas Break
Families are reminded that students and staff return to school from Christmas break on Wednesday, January 3rd.
Friday Newsletter
There will be no Black and Gold Report next week while we are on Christmas Break. Santa and his elves will be on vacation too. It will return on Friday, January 5th.
Financial Aid Applications
Be sure to watch your postal mailbox in January for a Tuition & Financial Aid mailing with important details for the 2024 - 2025 school year including STS Payment Plan and STS Financial Aid Application instructions. That process begins soon. If you have questions, please contact Tracy Donoff in the Financial Aid Office at tuition@berkscatholic.org or 610-374-8361 ext. 223.
Overdue Lunch Balances
Families are asked to settle any negative lunch balances they may currently have with our cafeteria vendor, Maschio’s. Families with negative balances will be receiving notification by letter this week. Thank you to those families who took care of it this week.
Junior Class Retreat
The Junior Class will be going on retreat on Friday, January 5th to the Padre Pio Center in Bally. Students will be transported by school bus. Students will return to school prior to the 2:30 p.m. dismissal time. Dress code for the day is casual BC spirit wear. There is no cafeteria, so students are to pack their lunches. There is a gift shop and there will be time to make purchase if they so desire. All permission forms have been given to students through their Religion class. If you have any questions, please contact Campus Minister, Deacon Lanciano, at rlanciano@berkscatholic.org or 610-374-8361, ext. 258.
Giants of Catholic Education
In the first week of January, we celebrate the feast days of two giants in Catholic education - St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and St. John Neumann. Both saints changed the face of Catholic school education in our nation. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (January 4th) was the first person born in what would become the United States to be canonized by the Catholic Church (in 1975). She established the first Catholic girls’ school in the nation in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where she also founded the first American congregation of religious sisters, the Sisters of Charity.
St. John Neumann (January 5th) immigrated to the United States in 1836, where he was ordained as a Redemptorist priest, and eventually became the fourth Bishop of Philadelphia (1852-1860). He is the first United States Bishop (and to date the only male citizen) to be canonized. While Bishop of Philadelphia, he founded the first Catholic diocesan school system in the United States. He was canonized in 1977. As a Catholic school, we owe much to these two great Saints. Saints Elizabeth Ann Seton and John Neumann…pray for us.
Saint on a Shelf
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