On Friday December 20th Jesuit High School has their annual Christmas mass. This mass is an all school mass on a dress up day and is the most highly anticipated mass of the entire year. Many alumni, Jesuit high school students, and parents fill the Knight Gymnasium to witness this mass each and every year.
All of the students are very eager to get let off for Christmas break and this final mass is the best way to end the year off on a high note. In addition to the Mass, students have a half day on Thursday and Friday for the food drive and so the Holman family student center is closed for lunch on both of those days. The Christmas Mass has all sorts of special aspects to it including dark blue lights and having all of the lights off during the entirety of the mass which is unusual for a mass to have.
However, this year may be a little different since they are switching up the decorations for the Mass. Campus Ministry and Tech Theatre decided to replace some of the decorations for multiple different light styles so that the Knight Gym can be illuminated in a new way.
“I am very excited for this mass it is my favorite mass of the year and it takes a long time for us to plan and set up,” said senior and member of Campus Ministry Audrey Bayless.
This mass takes a great deal of time to plan and includes all sorts of decorations and props that take a good time to make. These props include hand made designs as well as multiple different lights and colors that surround the Knight Gym.
“Campus Ministry has to get there early on Friday morning because the lighting is difficult in the Knight gym since the Smith has all of the lights pre set up,” Bayless said.
The season of advent is a season of anticipating Jesus’ birth and welcoming God’s incarnate self into our world. This mass is definitely an all time favorite as multiple families and alumni gather to celebrate the christmas season and end of the school year. Having this mass is a great way to end a year of celebration and gratitude. Having the food drive incorporated into the mass adds just yet another aspect of the community that the Jesuit students value and admire. Senior Kaitlyn MacLennan is a food drive committee member and loves going to mass each Friday.
“It is really awesome how we do the food drive a day before the final mass of the year. I think that it brings the Jesuit community much closer together especially since it is the end of the school year,” MacLennan said.
