Congratulations to Anna Stephens and Christian Surtz who were recently selected for participation in the Band for Today Honor Band. Their Band instructor advises that they put on a wonderful concert in April and were OUTSTANDING! God bless you and all our musicians here at school as you share your gifts!
NEW DIRECTORY GREETERS NEEDED: We are creating a new parish pictorial directory with the photo sessions running Tues-Sat., June 5th through June 23rd. See the parish website to sign your family up for photography. Interested in a fun and easy volunteer job? We need greeters to welcome our parishioners before their photo session. Please call Nina Motyka at 630-879-0306 or Kathy Pollack at 630-406-1566 if you can help. Thank you!
A SIMPLE LAUNDRY MINISTRY: Are you able, like Saint Martha, to help care for our Lord's needs at home? Could you do an extra load of laundry once every few months? Our Altar Server cassocks require periodic cleaning. This service is provided by a team of wonderful parishioners according to a flexible, comfortable schedule. The more the merrier! Please contact the parish office staff if you would like to help beautify our liturgies in this way!
ADORATION CHAPEL : Please contact Pat Roatch at our parish office (630-879-4750 x 110 or by email at patroatch@holycross-batavia.org) to sign up for an hour in our beautiful Adoration Chapel. The benefits are eternal.
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FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK . . .
Dear School Families,
Beginning in the fall of 2010, Holy Cross began instituting households in the grade school and parish religious education program. The idea came to me while on sabbatical at Franciscan University where they have households. The households are a way to promote brotherhood and a culture of family within a larger setting.
In the grade school, each class will function as a household for which they choose a name, put together a motto and emblem for a banner, have a mission statement and develop a life of prayer and accountability with each other. They will take the name and develop the mission with each other as they go through the school, with each year adding more richness and depth to their Christian purpose. While the younger grades will participate according to their abilities, it will really begin to take shape with the beginning of second grade. I'll give an example. The fifth grade has chosen the name of Warriors of the Word. This will be their household name throughout their time at Holy Cross. They will develop a mission that describes how they act, learn, pray and love each other as members of a household family. The name, motto, emblem and banner will be part of their communal experiences, including special Masses throughout each year. In addition, the mission statement will be developed as they mature in wisdom, age and grace while the banners will be changed as they grow in artistic ability.
Another aspect of households is Lord's Day where the students will take 10-15 minutes before Friday dismissal for praise and worship, intercessions, opening up the Gospel for the coming Sunday, thanksgiving prayer and a closing song. The point is to get them ready for Sunday with awareness of the Gospel and its meaning (I'll provide that to the teachers to assist them in breaking open the Word). In addition, the intercessory and thanksgiving prayer will help the students articulate what is on their hearts and to allow their prayers to be known to the other members of their household. In this way, we continue to build an atmosphere of compassion, trust and family in which each is known and loved. Practically speaking, it's much harder to be unkind to someone when I know who he or she is, care about them and am praying for the difficulties they shared during Lord's Day.
Please pray for the success of this exciting new idea for our children. Happy Lord's Day!
Msgr. Deutsch
Here are the 2011-2012 Household Names for our Holy Cross Catholic School community.
Preschool: Mary's Lambs
First Grade: Joseph's Workers
Second Grade: Hearts of Fire
Third Grade: Knights of God
Fourth Grade: Lambs of the Lord
Fifth Grade: Courageous Saints
Sixth Grade: Warriors of the Word
Seventh Grade: Guardians of the Faith
Eighth Grade: Branches of the Holy Vine
Faculty/Staff: House of Wisdom and Love
May
16 Band Concert 6:30PM
17 Ice Cream Thursday
18 Zoo Field Trip Grades K-2; last hot lunch of the year; Yearbook Order forms due
20 Mother/Son Laser Tag Outing
21 Eighth Grade field trip to Milwaukee - 6:20AM arrival; Four year old "Graduation" during class
22 Eighth Grade Retreat during regular school hours; School confessions 1-2:30PM
23 Rosary Walk immediately following 8AM Mass; Preschool End of Year Picnic in Gym 10:30AM-Noon; School Confessions 1-2:30PM; Eighth Grade Graduation Mass 6:30PM in Church with reception following in Donovan Hall
25 Spirit Wear Day; Half-Day 11:40AM Dismissal; Staff Meeting in PM
28 Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL
Almost Picture Perfect!
Did you attend the Talent Show and take some great photos? Please send them in!!! (See directions below...)
Calling all Holy Cross photographers! It's hard to believe the school year is almost over. We are working on the yearbook and need more pictures. Maybe you captured these moments…
Sports: Soccer, Volleyball, Football, Basketball, Pep Rallies
August: First Day K-8
September: First Day Preschool, Curriculum Night, Senior Luncheon
October: Sonny Acres field trip, Living Rosary, Grandparents Day, All School Skate, Norton Farm (preschool), Make an apple Pie (preschool), Halloween Parade (preschool)
November: All Saints Day (and class parties), MathMagic field trip, Veterans Day, Mini Workshops (middle School), Thanksgiving Feast (preschool)
December: 7th Grade Christmas Carol outing, Band Concert, Christmas Program, Christmas Classroom Parties, Polar Express, Birthday Party for Jesus (Preschool)
January/Early Feb: Mr. Freeze, Sally Walker Author Visit, Night of Wonders, Catholic Schools Week.
March/April: Class Trips, Science Presentation, Living Stations of the Cross and more...
Please send those great shots you took to holycrossyearbook@gmail.com or leave a CD in the office. Just label the pictures and the grades they are from.
Thank you for making the yearbook picture perfect!
Andrea Ausland, Eileen Nelson, Tammy Studebaker and Shannon Wirth
A Holy Cross family with a newborn who lives west of the river is interested in carpooling for the rest of this school year. They could drive your child(ren) to school in the morning and would appreciate transportation for their daughter home at 3PM dismissal. Please e-mail us at hccs@holycross-batavia.org if you are interested.
A Holy Cross family is seeking a responsible teenager or young adult who would be interested in driving three children home from school at dismissal and supervising until their parent arrives home from work at 5PM. Please e-mail us at hccs@holycross-batavia.org if you want more information.
Praying Together as a Household
The Church is a big family, so each of our families should be a "little church." As such, our weekly preparation for Sunday, the Lord's Day, follows the same basic format as the Mass. We speak to God; God speaks to us. We give bread, wine and ourselves to God while God gives us His Son.
Monsignor Deutsch and Father Evans have recently created a Lord's Day prayer format for families, the domestic Church. Please pick up a Prayer Card in the Narthex which your family can follow each week as you prepare for Sunday Mass.
classes, sports, friendships, challenges and joyful expectation for all that is to come, Holy Cross School is a place of love diffusing far and wide the goodness of Christ. Only in openness to the Holy Spirit can we continue to grow in body, mind and soul and give glory to Christ by becoming all that He calls us to be in His Holy Name.