All Souls Catholic School Students Make Christmas Brighter for Children
MEDIA ALERT
For immediate release
Location: All Souls Catholic School, 810 S. Oak St., Sanford
Contact: Barbara Schirard, principal
407-322-7090
All Souls Catholic School students make Christmas brighter for children
SANFORD | Choking back her emotions, Barbara Schirard, principal at All Souls Catholic School, gazed at the large pile toys that lay before the Chapel altar, and turning her attention to the students, who were sitting quietly in the church pews, she spoke.
“You are the face of Christ,” she said, through her tears. “There are more than 500 gifts on the altar. The people in the homeless shelter didn’t plan to be there. And because of you, many children will have a happy Christmas. I know for many of us, we are not in the best situation either, with the loss of jobs, loss of family, and yet you stepped up.”
Since returning from Thanksgiving Break, students and faculty at All Souls have been collecting toys to donate to the Rescue Outreach Mission. On Dec. 6, the Feast of St. Nicholas, the community gathered for a special prayer service, during which Father David Vivero, pastor, blessed the toys and praised the students for their generosity. Spearheaded by the Student Council, the annual toy drive is a longstanding tradition at the school, dating back more than 30 years.
“Throughout the year, we talk about service, leadership and what we are doing for others,” Mrs. Schirard said. “That is in our mission statement. Around Thanksgiving, we start encouraging students to do chores to earn money, and while they are out, when things are on sale, ask them to pick a toy for a child their age who otherwise would not have Christmas, would not have anything to open.”
“We encourage them to contemplate other students and what their lives are like. We tell them if you are here at all Souls, you have a purpose, you have a mission. You are here to look beyond yourself, and they do. They continually rise to the occasion.”
After the prayer service, the 8th grade students packed the toys and helped load them onto Mission’s truck, where they will brighten the Christmas of others.
About All Souls Catholic School
Located in the heart of historic downtown Sanford, All Souls Catholic School has been educating students from the Sanford and surrounding communities since 1954. The school is committed to academic excellence steeped in Catholic traditions and offers students a more personalized educational experience through smaller class sizes and a dedicated faculty. Their longstanding tradition of academic excellence is evident in above national norm test scores and student preparedness for high school and beyond.
-- 30 –