November 1, 2018 

SAINTS, STEWARDS, AND SCHOLARS

 Our littlest Saints helping us to commemorate the Feast of All Saints Day!  

REMINDER: All parents/guardians are invited to attend a briefing on proposed school facilities renovations and improvements, Wednesday, November 7, 2018, at 7PM, in the school gymnasium.  Hope to see you there!

Dear Parents,

Please click through to two important memos concerning the current crisis in the Church. One is the FAQ and the other is a request for prayer and fasting for the upcoming US Bishops Conference meeting from our Bishop, Michael Burbidge.

A blessed Solemnity of All Saints to you and your family! Tomorrow we celebrate the Feast of All Souls day and remember our beloved dead. As November is the month of the Holy Souls, I wanted to share with you a reflection on the Church's teaching concerning purgatory from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

1030 All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.

1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.⁶⁰⁶ The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:⁶⁰⁷

       As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.⁶⁰⁸

1032 This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore [Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin."⁶⁰⁹ From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God.⁶¹⁰ The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead:

       Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their father's sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.⁶¹¹

Relevant scripture passages: 1 Cor 3:15; 1 Pet 1:7.
Mt 12:31,  2 Macc 12:46.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Father Hathaway

Mrs. Cantwell had a great team today with our "Principal of the Day," Ginny McMahon, and her staff, Assistant Principal, Elizabeth McMahon, and Administrative Assistant, John McMahon. Thank you, McMahon family for helping us today!

The Gift of Human Sexuality Program

for Students in Grade 6-8

We all can remember middle school as a time of excitement and change interwoven with anxiety and difficulties. Your children have the added emotional roller coaster induced by society's secular messages transmitted through sexually explicit media, which complicates the normal questions they have regarding the gift of sexuality. We are partnering with parents, who are the primary educators, to help form their children in a proper understanding of love and the gift of human sexuality. To accomplish this goal, for the second year, we are offering a program for students in grade 6-8.   

Kevin Bohli, Director of the Office of Youth Ministry, has agreed to present this program to your children. Please attend the Parent Information Night on Monday, November 5, at 7:00 PM, in Christ Child Hall for more details. Instruction during school for students in grades 6-8 will begin on November 19.   

If you would like to opt out of this program, please email Mrs. Canavan at jcanavan@smsva.org before Friday, November 9.  

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Friday, November 9, 12:30 to 3:30 pm

Monday, November 12, 8:00 am to 3:30 pm

• Parents or guardians are now able to schedule conferences with your child's homeroom teacher, as well as Encore, Learning Center, and Counselor staff. Click on this link to schedule your conference now.

• Parents of students in grades 5-8, will be able to schedule conferences with subject teachers (non-homeroom) beginning on Thursday, November 8. Conferences scheduled with teachers, other than the homeroom teacher before November 8, are subject to removal by that teacher before that date.

• NO EXTENDED DAY Friday, November 9

These conferences are for parents or guardians. Please do not bring your children with you.  We appreciate  your cooperation in this matter and look forward to seeing you! 

SIBLING APPLICATIONS

2019-2020 Academic Year

If you have a sibling of a currently enrolled student in grades PreK-8 who will be registering at The Basilica School of Saint Mary for the first time, we ask that you submit an application and supporting documentation by December 10, 2018.

The application and non-refundable application fee will be collected online. All other forms and materials will be collected online or by mail as defined in the application information. The online application process will be available starting November 15, 2018.

Click here to review the application process.

Should you have any questions about submitting a sibling application, please contact Sarah Christie at schristie@smsva.org or at 703-549-1646 x4910

Vision and Hearing Screening

hosted by the Alexandria Lions Club

We invite all 3rd and 7th grade students to participate.

Our event will be held on

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

9:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Please complete and sign a permission form for each student. You may return the completed form to the clinic prior to the exam date or have the student bring the completed form in on testing day. Please let us know if your student(s) will not be participating in this event as you may have had this completed outside of school. A link to the permission form is provided for convenience, it is also available on the website under Health Screenings. If you require assistance or have any questions please give the clinic a call: 703-549-1646, ext. #4947.

The 2018- 2019 Annual Fund is in full force. We are closing in on 20% of our goal. We need your support to reach $100,000 by November 30. Make your tax deductible contribution today! 

Questions? Contact Jana Adams at annualfund@smsva.org.

LOOKING AHEAD 

November

 2    No Friday Mass

 2    Picture Make-Up and Re-Take day

 2    All Souls Day Service, grades 4-8, cemetery

 5    7-8 pm, The Gift of Human Sexuality Parent Information Night, CCH

 7    7 pm, Briefing on proposed renovations and improvements, gym

 8    7pm, HSA Board Meeting, Christ Child Hall

 9    11:30 AM Dismissal, NO Extended Day, Parent Teacher Conferences

12   NO SCHOOL for students

12   Parent Teacher Conferences

15   Prospective Parent Open House/Open Registration begins

20   9am, Mass of Thanksgiving, Basilica of Saint Mary, full dress uniforms required

21- 23  Thanksgiving Break

29  8th Grade - High School Aptitude Placement Test

30  11:30 AM Dismissal,  End of First Trimester marking period.

BASILICA EVENTS

All 8th Graders invited to the

Steubenville Conference this Summer

When? June 14-16, 2019
Where? Franciscan University of Steubenville in Steubenville, Ohio.
What is it? A conference for all Catholic youth to meet teens across the country and grow in their faith! 
More information? Visit our website.

For questions regarding the Conference, please contact the Assistant Youth Director, Mariane Leite at mleite@stmaryoldtown.org or 703-836-4100, or Mrs. Doucette at bdoucette@smsva.org 

PRAYERS

• May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace, and may each of us be counted among His saints when our time here on earth has run its course. All you saints of God, pray for us!
• For the repose of the souls of those killed at their synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA and the police officers who tried to help them and for their families and friends who mourn them.
• For ourselves and our community, that we might be increasingly aware of the needs of the homeless and take concrete actions to help them
• For Pope Francis and all Church leaders, that they will be witnesses of justice and repentance as we reach out to those who have been hurt
• That we will be led by the Holy Spirit to grow in the virtue of humility
• That those suffering the effects of natural disasters might find speedy help from Christians
• For all of our dearly departed
• For our service men and women, at home and abroad
• For the lonely, the sick, and the poor
• For all souls in Purgatory

Send requests for prayers to jcantwell@smsva.org.

 THE BASILICA SCHOOL OF SAINT MARY

400 Green Street  

Alexandria, VA  22314 

(703) 549-1646?