First grader Aidan Carey received just what he wanted for Christmas - his Dad to come home. Fresh from boot camp, Dad visited Aidan and his classmates just in time for Christmas. Big sister Nicole in 8th grade was very happy to have Dad home as well. Merry Christmas to the Carey family!

Fr. Wilt presided over our Christmas Mass with the liturgy planned by 4th grade. The students were reminded by Fr. Wilt that the best gift they can give anyone is their love and presence. The petitions gathered over the nine days of our Christmas Novena in the cradle underneath the lobby Christmas tree  were presented with the gifts. The liturgy concluded with the December GRACE Program in which the children prayed for those enrolled in the GRACE program, received a Christmas vacation blessing from Father Wilt , and offered the special prayer, My Gift for Jesus.

_ Our 5th graders shared learning adventures with a group of students from Minnesota. Along with several other Pittsburgh schools including West Allegheny and Marshall Elementary in North Allegheny, St. Philip was connected through our Distance Learning equipment to Southland Elementary in Minnesota. Each school offered a 5 minute presentation on something they have been learning. Our students performed a scene from their Mother Goose Meets Father Christmas play.

Our 5th graders had a fun time presenting their Christmas play to the Primary grade students.In the drama, Mother Goose brought all of her Fairytale characters on a journey to meet Father Christmas. The group also performed their piece for the Distance Learning group they connected with in Minnesota!!

_To celebrate this upcoming Christmas, students in third and fourth grade were invited to see Our Lady of Sacred Heart perform their Christmas play, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The third and fourth graders loved watching the high school students in their comical take of the classic Christmas story. We even were able to watch St. Philip Alumna, Lauren McDonald, as she portrayed Rudolph's friend Clarice.

The students in K-5 are presenting their program, "A History of Christmas Carols" this evening at 7:00P.M. in Church. Thank you to Mr Miller and the children for this wonderful opportunity to enjoy a peaceful reminder of the true meaning of Christsmas. All are invited to attend!