Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre visited St. Nicholas Academy on New Cut Road Dec. 6, where he celebrated a Mass in honor of the school’s patron, St. Nicholas of Myra.
During his homily, Archbishop Fabre asked his young listeners several questions about St. Nicholas. The children told him that St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children and their school and that he was kind and generous.
St. Nicholas was sent by God to be kind, generous, faithful and a friend to Jesus, the archbishop told the students. In a similar way, he said, they are sent to be attentive to their parents and teachers and to be the “best student you can be.”
“We have different gifts, and God sends us to use our gifts for the benefit of others,” said Archbishop Fabre.
During the Mass, the archbishop blessed a basket of candy canes to be shared in the school that day. In gratitude for his visit to the school, he was given a box of St. Nicholas cookies.
Following Mass, the students performed a skit based on the book “The Legend of the Candy Cane” by Lori Walburg, which explains the Christian symbolism behind the Christmas candy. Among the symbols highlighted were: The candy cane is shaped like the letter “J” for Jesus. It can also look like the staff of a shepherd. The red stripes on the candy are symbolic of Jesus’ blood shed for all and the white is symbolic of the cleansing of sins.
