Saint John Neumann held their annual Grandparents Day on Friday, November 4th.

Students were called from class at 9:30 am to meet their grandparents in the gym before moving to the chapel for a mass held by Bishop Dewane. Before the mass began, students in Mrs. Brewer’s Creative Arts classes gave their grandparents Shutterfly books, which they had prepared as gifts for them. These books included images and information about their grandparents’ lives.

During the Mass, Bishop Dewane stated that grandparents have a “furnace of purpose,” as they play an essential role in the family. 

“When we look at the idea of grandparents,” Bishop Dewane said. “They have the role of mentors. [They are] mentors in the family, mentors of tradition, mentors of faith, mentors of patience, [and] mentors of love…”

    He closed the Mass with a blessing for the grandparents, thanking them for their part in leading their family down the right paths.

After the Mass, the students and grandparents had lunch in the Student Life Center, where they ate pasta and meatballs, with cookies for dessert. Despite the delay of a few spaghetti bowls, the elders thoroughly enjoyed their meals.

Fifteen minutes into the lunch, the school’s staff played a 6-minute film that included images of each child and grandparent, with photos shot years before some students’ high school days. Once the video ended, the staff instructed the students to take a photograph with their grandparents to remember the time they spent together. 

At 11:30 am, it was time for the grandparents to depart. Grandparents Day ended successfully, as the event left the elders delighted with their experience.

“It was very fun,” recounts Janet George, grandmother to student Serene Aviles. “I enjoyed the mass as well.”