Congratulations to our young women of St. James who will graduate on Wednesday evening from St. Vincent Academy! What a milestone in your lives! We, your church family, rejoice with you and pray for you as you enter the next chapter of your life! May the Lord Jesus continue to mold and form you into strong, gracious, virtuous women of God! Whether you stay here in Savannah or go far afield, St. James Parish is your home!
End of School Year 2023-2024
Friday, May 24th, was the last day of school! Summer is upon us! Students, Teachers, School Staff, and Parents are excited for the chance for some rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation (though the excitement of Parents may be a little more tempered than the others!)! Congratulations on a good and wonderful year! I hope that through this year, you have grown in your relationship with Jesus and that your character and virtue have also been strengthened. St. James School exists to assist parents in their vocation to form the children God has given them into His disciples and into men and women of virtue and of magnanimous character. See you next year!
As we launch into summer camps, Vacation Bible School, family vacations, family staycations, and long evenings remember that our relationship with God and the Church never stops! Though the School may be closed over the summer, the Church is still open! We get a break from the schoolwork and the classroom, but we don’t get a break from going to mass on Sundays and praying daily. Unlike in school where one grade ends and another begins, there is no end or beginning in our relationship with God. If we took a break from our relationship to God like we take a summer break from School, it would be like a husband saying to his wife, “Great year, honey! I’ll talk to you in two months when we start again.” That would be ridiculous (and the relationship would crumble and be destroyed. Let’s not do that with our relationship with God this summer!
Rather, let’s nourish that relationship! Besides having your daily prayer time, coming to daily mass, and coming to Sunday mass, here are few little pilgrimages you and your family can do. Drive down to Darien to Nativity of Our Lady Catholic Church, visit the outdoor shrine of the Georgia Martyrs at the church, and take a tour of Fort King George. Take a road trip to St. Augustine to the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche. Stop in Macon on your way to Atlanta and see St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. If you go to Charleston, stop in and see the beautiful Cathedral.
Memorial Day
As we celebrate Memorial Day on Monday, we pray for the repose of the souls of all the brave men and women who have died establishing, protecting, and defending our beloved United States of America. Let’s celebrate by remembering their deeds and valor. A Blessed Memorial Day to each of you and to your families. Have a wonderful time this weekend!
May the peace, joy, and hope of our Risen Lord Jesus be with you and your families!
~ Fr. Daniel Firmin