September 30, 2025
St. Jerome
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Friends,
One of the many blessings we enjoy at SJ23 is our association with our namesake and patron saint, Pope St. John XXIII. Each year on Friday, October 10, we mark his feast with a day of devotion and celebration. Three years ago, we began the tradition of conducting a Eucharistic Procession following the Mass. Pope St. John XXIII had a great devotion to Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist and called the whole Church to share in that devotion. “In the Blessed Sacrament, a heavenly school is open to you,” he wrote, “with the best teacher one can possibly imagine, Jesus Christ himself.”
Each of our Houses participates in the procession through the preparation of an altar honoring the individual House patron saints. This is an opportunity for our Houses to come together and celebrate one another, remembering that each House saint has a connection to our patron, who in turn points us towards Jesus Christ. The procession will stop at the five different altars, and we will pray together.
Parents and friends are invited to attend and participate in both the liturgy and the procession, although our space is limited. Please
register here by 6:00 pm on Wednesday, October 8, if you plan to attend.
Since this day of celebration falls on a Friday, there will be an early dismissal for the students at 1:00 pm.
The schedule for the day is below:
- 8:50 am Students arrive as usual and report to House Homerooms
- 9:15 am – 10:15 am Mass celebrated by Fr. Jonathan Mitchican
- 10:15 am – 10:45 am Eucharistic Procession and Benediction
- 10:50 am – 11:20 am Students return to House Homerooms
- 11:20 am Fun, food, and games begin
- 12:15 pm – 1:00 pm Students v. Faculty skills contest in the Competition Gym
- 1:00 pm Dismissal
More information for the day:
- The student dress code is a spirit shirt over jeans or uniform bottoms. Mass dress is not required.
- There will be no after-school care. Students participating in sports teams will be notified by their coaches about adjusted practice schedules.
Yours in Christ,
Joseph Noonan
Principal
St. John XXIII College Preparatory
