Saint Rita News

December 14, 2009 Volume 3 Issue 15

Virtue of the Second Trimester
“Compassion”
Rachel Joy Scott
"Don't let your character get camouflaged with your environment.
Find who you are and let it stay in its true colors." 
Monday, our 6th 7th and 8th graders went on very special field trip. We set a new precedent by joining together with another
local Catholic School, St. Philip the Apostle in Pasadena in a non-competitive venue. Since I was a student at Holy Angels the only
time we get together with other Catholic Schools is for sports’ competitions. There was a gap that needed filling. Our school kids get-
ting to know other Catholic School kids. When we arrived we were enthusiastically greeted. Rachel’s Challenge Assembly was a tre-
mendous success! 270 students sat together as if they were classmates. You could hear pin drop during the entire 3 hour presentation.
What is Rachel’s Challenge?
In a nutshell it is a commitment to:
Treat others the way you want to be treated
Create an atmosphere of Kindness
Dare to Dream
Spread Good Gossip
As I looked down at my notes I scribbled
WWJD?
Not a new message for Catholic School children, just a new messenger, another child. Jesus came to life at that assembly.
Rachel connected with the kids because she looked like them, sounded like them and lived as Jesus did. She made it seem so
natural and easy.

John Paul II, in his Angelus message of 1999, explained that Christmas is not simply the remembrance of the Event that took
place 2000 years ago when, according to the Gospel, the power of God took on the frailty of a baby. It is really about a living
reality that is repeated every year in the heart of believers.
"The mystery of the Holy Night, which historically happened two thousand years ago, must be lived as a spiritual event in
the ‘today’ of the Liturgy," "The Word who found a dwelling in Mary’s womb comes to knock on the heart of every
person with singular intensity this Christmas."

Look for Spelling Sponsorship forms.

They will be sent home with your Children on Thursday.

Acts of Kindness
When they thought no one was looking;
the following students were seen
practicing charity and kindness-
Living as Jesus would.
You never know when an angel is watching!
Joseph Augustynski, Gavin Blackwell, Liam Blackwell, Nate Cunha, Sara Landis,
Adrian Navarette, Mary Ann Pearson, Taylor Sbrocca, Marcia Turner.

Kacey Benson is looking for volunteers and a few good drivers to help spread some Christmas warmth and joy to a small group of
Pasadena's homeless people, Friday after school. We will load our cars with 140 blankets collected this Holiday Season
We will drop the blankets off at the Union Rescue Mission on Raymond. After our Christian Service Mission, we can give
thanks for our many blessings and take a few minutes to celebrate with a quick stop at Lucky Boys to enjoy Pasadena's
finest Burger! Bring some lunch money and enjoy the Season of Giving.
***If you were unable to participate in the drive last week Monetary Donations toward the purchase of these blankets
can be sent to the school office and will be greatly appreciated

1
 Saint Rita News
Important Dates
Tuesday 12-15 School Mass Spon-
sored by the 6th grade class. Please
arrive at 7:45. we practice the songs
in the church before
Mass
Wednesday 12-16
Thursday 12-17 6:00 All School
Christmas Program K-8 in the
Church. Look for Spelling Bee
Sponsorship Forms
Friday 12-18 Noon Dismissal
Saturday 12-19 Happy Birthday Jose
Sunday 12-20 Fourth Sunday of
Advent Today we light the fourth
candle of Advent, the candle of
Peace or Angels. Just as the an-
gels who appeared to the shep-
herds brought them news of peace
on earth, so we pull away from the
busy pace of the season to focus
on the peace Christ brought to the
world.
Candlelight Walk and Christmas
Caroling: A special Sierra Madre
community tradition! 6:45-8:00
p.m. Bring a sturdy candle in a
cup and meet on the church steps.
Thursday 12-24 Christmas Eve
4 p.m. Children’s Mass. Families
invited to bring an unwrapped
children’s gift donation. 10 p.m.
Mass Carols and meditations fol-
lowed by 10:30 p.m. Vigil Mass
with Choir.
Friday 12-25 Merry Christmas
8:30 a.m. Mass
12:00 noon Mass
Tuesday 12-29 Happy Birthday Mrs.
Pearson
Thursday 12-31 Full Moon
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy New Year
Monday 1-4 Welcome Back to
School
Tuesday 1-5 School Mass Spon-
sored by the 4th grade class. Please
arrive at 7:45. we practice the songs
in the church before
Mass
Saturday 1-9 First Reconciliation
Workshop All First Communicants
and their parents must attend
9:00 -12:00
Tents are made for
Camping, not housing
Thank you all for your gen-
erosity.
Certainly you have made a
difference in the lives of
many during this Advent
Season.
“The King will reply, “I tell
you the truth, whatever you
did for one of the least of
these brothers of mine, you
did for Me.”
Moola Monday
$750.00 = 600 Bus tokens
T-SHIRT TUESDAY, WARM-UP
WEDNESDAY, TOILETRIES
THURSDAY, FOOTSIE FRIDAY.
A Special Thank you to the
Biscaichipy and Romejko
Families who delivered 2
truckloads of items downtown,
bad weather and all.
 of
guests
with
no
time
to
bake.

Please,
2
Bake
Sale
Sunday



December
20,
2009

after
the
10
a.m.
Mass
Cookies, Bunt Cakes, Brown-
ies, Almond Roca, Sugar,
Sugar, Sugar!!
We all have our favorite recipe. What fun
it would be to have a bake sale and show
off our baking skills! All proceeds will be
used to help with the blankets donated to
Union Station Homeless Services in
Pasadena.
Please bring your baked treasures to
Kacey Benson and the St. Rita School
Student Council Members before or after
the 10:00 a.m. Mass on
Sunday, December 20th.
Please let us know what you will donate
to us by emailing:
kaceybenson@gmail.com
or call Mrs.Pearson i
n the school office 355-6114.
All donations or assistance with the
bake sale will be greatly appreciated.
Thank You for helping such a great
cause.
Parishioners love to buy homemade
baked goods just before
Christmas‐Lots



Make
one
extra
for
us
and
donate
on

the
20th.