By J. Piscitelli
Photo: Yearbook Staff
As a yearly tradition, Bishop Alemany High School celebrates Saint Francis through the St. Francis Mass and the St. Francis Peace Festival. This is an opportunity for students and staff to come together and learn about the many influential events throughout Saint Francis’s life. During the October 3rd Mass, a display of larger-than-life puppets reenacted a story of St. Francis, which was produced by Alemany's Christian Leadership class. Beth Peterson, an artist who works with local communities, coordinates the event by writing the script and overseeing the creation of the puppets.
The Christian Leadership class spends weeks preparing; whether it be making new puppets and masks or rehearsing roles, they come together for the Mass. ”For this Mass, we use puppets which is able to draw in the audience more,” says Paul Simbulan (12), a member of Christian Leadership. For freshman Hope Piscitelli, it was her first time experiencing the Mass: ”I thought that it was cool because I've never seen something like that before. It shows how special Alemany is because they want to make it fun for everyone.”
The St. Francis Peace Festival was celebrated during October 1st through 5th. Students of all grade levels participated in creating exhibits that showcased Saint Francis’s message of peace and displayed them in Alumni Hall. These exhibits included works of art, PowerPoints, and reports that examine the definition of peace. Through these various projects, Warriors hope to make a difference by advocating for a better world. Alemany believes that by following in the footsteps of Saint Francis, it will see a change in how all people of the world are treated.