Students at several Catholic schools in the Diocese of Phoenix took to social media to report how they observed the feast day of St. Nicholas this year.
The feast day for the fourth century Greek bishop was Dec. 6. Schools celebrated over the weekend and on Monday by hosting a breakfast with Santa, leading child-friendly activities and leaving surprise gifts inside children’s shoes.
Most Holy Trinity Catholic School hosted its annual “Breakfast with Santa” Dec. 5. “Jolly Ol’ St. Nicholas” gave every child a gently used book to take home. The man in the red suit moves north to Sacred Heart School in Prescott Dec. 13. The ticketed event also includes breakfast — provided by the Knights of Columbus — and a visit with Santa.
“Bishop Nicholas” visited St. Matthew students this week too. He sat in the presider’s chair sharing the true story of Christmas with the students. The young learners also got a visit from St. Mary’s High School students in honor of St. Nicholas’ feast day. The teenagers led the younger elementary students in craft.
Staff at a couple of other elementary schools showed St. Nicholas’ spirit. Since the story of St. Nicholas includes reports of the patron saint of children throwing bags of money into the home of a poor family to rescue the girls from being sold into slavery, leaders of some Catholic homes leave small gifts in shoes or stockings on his feast day.
Students at St. Mary-Basha in Chandler and St. Catherine of Siena participated in such tradition this year.
