JANUARY 6, 2021
Feast of the Epiphany and Global Traditions
The traditional date for the feast of the Epiphany is January 6. However, since 1970, the celebration is held in some countries on the Sunday after January 1. The Epiphany commemorates the 12th day of Christmas when the three Wise Men arrived at the manger bearing gifts for Baby Jesus.

Does your family or heritage have traditions for the Epiphany? Here are a few examples of Epiphany traditions around the world...

According to the Italian legend, La Befana, a witch-like woman riding on a broom, refused to join the Wise Men on their journey to see the baby Jesus. When she regrets her decision, she sets out to bring gifts to the child but never finds him. Instead, she leaves gifts for other children. Italian children leave out their shoes or put up stockings for the Befana to fill on January 5th, Epiphany Eve.

In Mexico, the day of the three kings is known locally as El Dia de los Reyes on which locals in Mexico City and elsewhere celebrate the occasion with a special cake called Rosca de Reyes, or the Three Kings Cake. The confection contains a figurine of baby Jesus, and whoever winds up with it in their piece of cake is considered to be Jesus’s “godparent” for the year. France, Poland, Germany and several other countries also have a have Kings Cake as part of their tradition.

In Ireland, Little Christmas (Irish: Nollaig Bheag) is one of the traditional names in Ireland for the Epiphany. Little Christmas is also called Women’s Christmas and sometimes Women’s Little Christmas. The tradition is so called because of the tradition of Irish men taking on the very untraditional role of doing all the household duties for the day. Many women hold parties or go out to celebrate the day with their friends, sisters, mothers and aunts. Children often buy presents for their mothers and grandmothers.

Epiphany is celebrated with a wide array of customs in Poland. Poles take small boxes containing chalk, a gold ring, incense and a piece of amber, in memory of the gifts of the Magi, to church to be blessed. Once at home, they inscribe the date and “K+M+B+ the year” with the blessed chalk above every door in the house to provide protection against illness and misfortune for those within. Letters stand for the names of the Three Magi: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar (Kacper, Melchior i Baltazar), and also abbreviate the Latin phrase ‘Christus mansionem benedicat’ – ‘May Christ bless the house’.
  • 1/4/21 - 1/15/21 - eLearning for all students

  • Monday 1/18/21 - NO SCHOOL Martin Luther King Day

  • Tuesday 1/19/21 Return to IN-PERSON Learning
Happy Birthday to the following while we are eLearning...
OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR NEW FAMILIES

If you know a family interested in enrolling their children, please have them contact Mary Tassi at mtassi@sfxlg.org or 352-2175 ext. 331.
SFX Parent Rosary

DATE: Thursday, 1/7
TIME: 8:20am

JOIN US IN-PERSON & SOCIALLY DISTANCED:

PLACE: Mary Garden on the Spring Ave side of the church
(inclement weather? We will gather in the church.)

Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, coffee, & rosaries. The littlest pray-ers are most welcome. And bring your special intentions...goodness knows we have a few. Covid precautions will be in place: masks & social distancing.

If you know in advance that you will be joining us, please register on the parish website for: "Rosary--Thursday."
If your schedule changes, or the morning routine goes smoother than expected, or you realize it's Thursday, or you just forget to register? No problem! Join us! We'll mark your info when you arrive. (required by Archdiocese for contact tracing, if necessary)

JOIN US VIRTUALLY:

If you are interested in praying together virtually, click on the zoom link:

Questions? Contact Katie Kanzer at k.f.kanzer@gmail.com
Let's conquer the cabin fever together... from the comfort of your own couch. 

SFX School Advisory Board presents VIRTUAL TRIVIA! Fun for the whole family! Friday, January 15th.  Perfect for families, singles, alumni, and parishioners of all ages!!!


We are grateful for the sponsorship of Kate Boyle Group, @properties.
SFX Parents: Social Media Workshop via ZOOM Thursday, January 21 at 7PM 
Liz Repking, a cybersecurity expert from Cybersafety Consulting, will be presenting about teens and social media: how to use social media for good; how to dialogue with teens about social media platforms; cybersecurity; recommendations for monitoring and making choices; consequences for what kids post and fake profiles.  Thank you to Nazareth Academy for hosting this important workshop.

Tuesday January 12th... Mark your Calendars!
BBQ from the smoker! Hot DogBurgers on the grill!

Mention St. Francis Xavier when you order LUNCH or DINNER (11am - 8pm) at either Q-BBQ & HOT DOG & BURGER CO (behind Q-BBQ) on Tuesday January 12th, and they will donate 20% of the proceeds to St. Francis Xavier!
With Shop for SFX...

Your normal purchases could be helping SFX earn tuition credit for your family or another family!  Vendors offer the cards at a discount, and SFX gets the difference as profit.  

Your family has the option of getting 40% of the profit back as a tuition credit, or you can choose to send your credit to another family or return it to the school.  

You can find a current Order Form on the SFX School Website at Shop4SFXLG.com
Please Help Close
the Tuition Gap
1/4/21 - 1/15/21
eLearning

Tuesday, 1/12/21
Restaurant Fundraising
Q-BBQ and Hot Dog & Burger Company
11am - 8pm

Monday 1/18/21
NO SCHOOL
Martin Luther King Day

Tuesday 1/19/21
Return to IN-PERSON
Learning

SFX TRIVIA NIGHTS!
Friday 1/15/21
Friday 2/12/21
7PM - 9PM

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
1/31/21- 2/6/21
Let an individual Teacher, Staff or Administrative Team Member know that they are appreciated!

Click & Clap is our year-round positive recognition program allowing families to acknowledge special moments, and thank a SFX Faculty or Staff member for something they have done that has left a positive impression on a student or on your family in a special way.
The following is shared community news. Content shared is informational and does not serve as a recommendation or endorsement by SFX School or Parish. 
Support SFX on Amazon Smile!

Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to SFX!


Bookmark the link! Your purchases can make a difference!

Here's a suggestion to help SFX TWICE as much!
(EASY AS 1-2-3)...

1). PURCHASE AMAZON GIFT CARDS FROM SHOP4SFX
3) LOAD THE GIFT CARDS ONTO YOUR AMAZON ACCOUNT... Whenever the mood strikes you to shop, you'll be ready!
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Place your order today at www.ShopwithScrip.com or on the RaiseRight App

Need to enroll?

1)  Email our coordinator at ShopforSFX@sfxlg.org to receive our enrollment code.

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3)  Enter a user name, password, and your account information. Fill in the validation, click Register, and you can start earning money for SFX!

Questions? Email us at ShopforSFX@sfxlg.org