In December 1957, Dr. Suess’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” made its sweeping debut. Three film adaptations and new twists in the story line haven’t changed the heart of the tale as little Cindy Lou Who and the town of Who-ville prove that love always wins, and Christmas can’t be stopped.
A darker re-write might feature a spikey villain and bear the title “How COVID-19 Stole 2020.” But the story lines could intersect, especially if the setting is South Jersey Catholic Schools. Like a collection of Who-villes, Catholic school communities continue to prove that not even a pandemic can break the spirit that binds them.
Especially when it comes to Thanksgiving and Advent, schools are sharing and celebrating what they have, rather than focusing on what they have lost. They are finding new ways to keep time-honored traditions and creating new traditions that reflect the times.
As indoor group singing is currently off limits (COVID-19 airborne particles travel further with the force of singing), hand bells have become the new voice of song at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Berlin. For Thanksgiving, the school added a recording of “Now Thank We All Our God” to its growing collection of social media music posts.
Eighth grader Julian Rich believes playing the bells will benefit anyone, especially if they want to play music in high school or later. “It help[s] with hand-eye coordination and it helps us read notes,” he said.
In Vineland, Saint Mary School students are finding their voice with boom whackers (hollow, tuned plastic percussion tubes), a speech choir and sign language. In a Thanksgiving video featuring the song “Thankful,” the school’s youngest students appear in a collection of photos, while older students perform the refrain in sign language, one class at a time. Music teacher Toni Burdey is teaching herself sign language, just a step ahead of her students.
“It’s great for them to stretch their boundaries and learn that music is so much more than singing. It’s an expression of who you are,” said Burdey, who is grateful for the chance to work with new instruments in the classroom. Burdey said she plans to use many of these tools even after COVID-19 is gone.
Serving others is a core value in all Catholic schools. With COVID-19 restrictions, schools have found socially distanced ways to connect with those in need.
A longstanding tradition for seventh graders at Saint Vincent de Paul Regional School in Mays Landing is a Thanksgiving dinner for seniors. Although they missed serving their guests on-site, the class packaged the meal for takeout this year.
Throughout the Diocese of Camden, school volunteers delivered baskets, boxes and bags of food collected within their school communities during the month of November. Some schools, like Saint Mary’s in Williamstown, partner with host parishes to participate in food drives; others, like Assumption Regional School in Galloway and Our Lady of Mount Carmel, collected food for the Saint Vincent de Paul Society. Camden Catholic High School, Cherry Hill, delivered turkey dinners to a number of ministries in Camden County, while across the state in Atlantic City, Our Lady Star of the Sea Regional School first graders donated turnips and greens harvested in their own school garden to a nonprofit that operates a soup kitchen.
With legendary traditions for in-school Thanksgiving feasts, Saint Mary’s, Williamstown, and Resurrection Catholic School in Cherry Hill switched gears because of COVID-19. At Saint Mary’s, the feast came to students, one desk at a time. Resurrection principal Molly Webb led a recorded prayer service that included photographs from last year’s feast with students sitting shoulder to shoulder, not a mask in sight. The images bring back memories of an easier time and offered hope for a healthy future.
Now the focus is Advent, and South Jersey Catholic Schools will spread joy and hope with food, toy and clothing drives, and homemade cards, crafts and ornaments. Our Lady of Hope Regional School in Blackwood is supporting the South Jersey Dream Center with new pajamas, the Ronald McDonald House wish list and the Sacred Heart Toy Store. In Woodbury, Holy Angels School will adopt a family in need. Vineland’s Bishop Schad School plans to bring gifts to children in a homeless shelter.
Few events in a Catholic school are as coveted as the Advent lineup of prayer services, concerts, pageants and live Nativity scenes. Schools are hard at work creating experiences that meet current social distancing requirements. Saint Teresa School, Runnemede, plans to hold a daytime Christmas pageant in church with a limited audience and make a filmed version available to families. Wildwood Catholic Academy is working on a virtual music program. Holy Angels School students have been spotted outdoors, one class at a time, filming segments for a virtual Christmas concert.
COVID-19 remains persistent in its efforts to steal 2020 (and beyond), but South Jersey Catholic Schools are proving to be resilient. As Principal Webb said in her message to Resurrection School families, “This Thanksgiving may just end up being the most special because there is a renewed understanding of the gift of life and the sacrifices that we need to make to ensure the safety of our school community. … Together, as a community of faith, we will weather [this time] using the gifts of faith, hope and love.”
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