Mary, Flame of Hope Shines
Immaculate Heart High School students and faculty gathered online to celebrate Mary’s Day, one of the school’s most beloved traditions, on Friday, May 1.
Each year, the Associated Student Body board members choose a theme for the day to center the celebration. This year’s theme, chosen at the beginning of 2020 but uniquely appropriate to these uncertain times, was Mary, Flame of Hope.
The day began with students virtually joining their sections. Led by their section teacher and other faculty and staff, everyone made head wreaths, the traditional Mary’s Day adornment, using materials in “Mary’s Day kits” that had been sent to everyone’s homes. These kits also included items for making “stained glass” suncatchers to hang in peoples’ windows, as well as templates for a great Mary’s Day collage that is currently being constructed.
Once they had donned their head wreaths and made some art, students watched a moving video put together by dozens of their classmates and teachers, featuring all the moments that make Mary’s Day such a moving experience. The freshman Honors English class shared a verbal collage, filled with quotes reflecting on the day’s theme; faculty members offered Gospel readings and personal reflections; the liturgical dancers even performed a beautiful routine to an “Ave Maria” recorded by members of the school choir.
And, of course, the Mary’s Day celebration would not be complete without the Great Lawn Dance! After watching the Mary’s Day video and learning the Lawn Dance from a tutorial created by members of the Associated Student Body, students and faculty joined together to dance together in a huge virtual celebration.
Finally, faculty urged students to bring the spirit of “Mary, Flame of Hope” into their homes and neighborhoods by spending time and sharing kindness with their families and neighbors—from a responsible distance, of course!
About Immaculate Heart
Founded in 1906, Immaculate Heart High School & Middle School educates young women in grades sixth through 12th from its central location in the Los Feliz foothills near Griffith Park in Hollywood. The school has a long and distinguished history, with more than 10,000 graduates. Today’s student body of more than 700 young women is both geographically and ethnically diverse, drawing on students from throughout Los Angeles County. Last year, virtually 100 percent of Immaculate Heart graduates matriculated to colleges, including the most prestigious schools in the country.
