Print Issue: January 2, 2003

St. Pius X High School Students Bring Santa To Solidarity School

Above, right, Solidarity School students sing Christmas carols in Spanish and English during a Christmas program and Mass Dec. 13. The school, which serves children from Mexican immigrant families, provides strong academics and Catholic formation and an extended school day.

By Priscilla Greear, Staff Writer

ATLANTA - Making a sleigh stop in Sandy Springs, Santa appeared Dec. 14 before children at the Solidarity School and Holy Spirit Hispanic mission, calling ebullient youngsters up to receive presents from their wish lists that were provided by St. Pius X High School students.

The third "Dream Come True" Christmas festival at Solidarity School was sponsored by the Challenge network of Catholic youth groups, a Regnum Christi apostolate. Twenty-two girls from St. Pius and three from Blessed Trinity High School, Roswell, organized the event for about 150 children. They had a double dose of Yuletide delight, as Archbishop John F. Donoghue celebrated Mass for the school the day before.

The private, independent Catholic school teaches 55 Hispanic children in kindergarten through fourth grade from low-income, mainly Mexican immigrant families. The strip mall where the school and church mission are located just off Roswell Road is known as Solidarity Mission Village. The church offers spiritual and social services, including counseling and English and computer instruction.

Angela Raviele, campus ministry coordinator at St. Pius, said Santa was the star.

"We had to almost put a human barricade outside Santa's room, the kids were so excited. I think it was really special for them," she said. "Santa didn't know Spanish so well, so he didn't speak too much. He just said Merry Christmas and asked them if they had been good children."

The festival even attracted inquiring parents who saw the excitement and dropped in. Fortunately there were 50 leftover gifts, so "everyone went home with something."

Raviele said this Christmas festival tradition originated in Mexico. Children write letters telling baby Jesus how they have been good during the year and asking for their desired gift. Raviele said when high school students were invited to provide the gifts, "Pius really took the ball and ran with it."

At the festival, children sang carols, made angel ornaments, swatted Pius-made piñatas, played games and took home goodie bags of crayons and snacks.

"I think they loved it. They were so excited . . . It was a good opportunity for them to just enjoy themselves in a welcoming place and be able to meet new little friends and be filled not only with physical food but spiritual food," said Raviele. The teens spoke to the children about God's omnipresent love.

The Christmas program Mass the day before was another time for students, parents, volunteers and friends of Solidarity to gather. Students sang carols in Spanish and English, with the Donnellan School of Atlanta liturgical choir as guest performers, and saw Mexican dances.

In his homily the archbishop told the children about how they will later look back and see how their Catholic education formed their lives and "what wonderful things might happen, because of what we are doing here today."

"Every time we do something good, every time we help other people out, and every time we try to be good parents, teachers, and children, then the Lord's love is born in us all over again, and Christmas happens in our hearts."

Solidarity development director Steve Holton said, "I think it was a very special moment for the children to celebrate Mass with the archbishop and to be addressed by him."

Pinecrest Academy in Cumming also held a party with Santa for the school and Pinecrest and Donnellan, the school's most active volunteer supporters throughout the year, adopted students and their families, buying them gifts, said principal Betsy Collins. "It's been wonderful. We've had so much support for the school."