Matthew Monday: Graduation!

Matthew had his graduation from elementary school last week.  He completed eighth grade, and so he was with St. Rita Catholic School since kindergarten, that is nine years.  Well, not quite exactly.  St. Rita’s Catholic School was forced to merge with the neighboring St. Teresa’s Catholic School four years ago I think it was.  It became the St. Teresa-St. Rita STREAM Academy.  So it wasn’t solely St. Rita.  There were benefits from merging—more kids in a class—but we loved the old St. Rita school.  The consolidation pushed everyone into the St. Teresa school building.  Nonetheless it was a glorious graduation.  Here are some pictures.

My handsome young man.

 

The graduation was held in the St. Teresa Church with a full Mass.  Here he is walking down the nave.

 

He was given the assignment to read the Old Testament reading.  He got to be lector, emulating his father.  ;)

 

Each child was given a yellow rose to give to their mother.  Here he is giving it to my wife.

 

Some more pictures outside, one with his mother, one with his gradmother.

 

Looking very dashing in front of his school.

 

And finally on the back of my mother’s deck. 

 

God bless you my son.

Matthew Monday: Senior Dance

Here’s a picture of Matthew going off to his Senior Dance night.  It had a western theme.  I have to say, it’s a really good picture.  He really looks the part and maybe five years older.

 

You should have smelled how much cologne he put on.  You could have smelled him from the next room…lol.

My little child is growing up. 

😭

Matthew Monday: Class Stations of the Cross Dramatization

It is the tradition at Matthew’s Catholic school for the eighth grade graduating class to put on the Stations of the Cross dramatization.  This happened last Friday.

To explain, they don’t act out the stations.  They sort of depict the station in a frozen pose.  A narrator will explain the station and induce some sort of exhortation of the heart in the audience, or perhaps ask the audience to imagine themselves in the scene.

All fourteen stations are dramatized and all the characters are presented: Christ, the Roman soldiers, the Blessed Mother, Simon the Cyrene, the women of Jerusalem, Pontius Pilate, and Veronica.  In between each scene, as the actors and stage hands set the stage for the next station, a chorus sings, “Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom.”

Matthew was given the role of a Roman soldier.  With that in mind, let me share a few pictures.

The Second Station, Jesus is given His cross.  Matthew’s friend JJ played Jesus.  Matthew is the Roman soldier on the right.

 

The Third Station, Jesus falls for the first time.  Matthew is now on the left.

 

And here’s a close up of Matthew. 

My son is developing muscles for a thirteen year old.

Possibly my favorite of the stations, the Sixth Station, Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.

A close up of the Eighth Station.  Matthew is standing like a real soldier.

A close-up of the Ninth Station, Matthew standing over the fallen Christ.

The Tenth Station, Jesus is Stripped of His Clothing.

Finally I’ll jump to the Fourteenth Station, the Burial, since it’s visually dramatic.

Two pictures that capture all the participates.

It was beautiful and moving.  The kids did a great job.