Catholic faith taught through costume-themed celebration
By Erick Rommel
Head Staff Writer
While many children dressed up in Halloween costumes Oct. 31, students in St. Mary School, South Amboy, wore costumes that educated their classmates and each other about people and events in the Bible.
Claire Delaney, St. Mary School’s religion teacher for grades six through eight, coordinates the annual presentation.
“A lot of time and effort is put in by Mrs. Delaney and her students to prepare this wonderful presentation for parents, faculty and the younger students,” said Donna O’Boyle, principal.
Sixth grade students portrayed people from the Old Testament. The seventh grade studied the Gospel writers and reenacted some Scripture stories. Students from the eighth grade worked in groups and presented the seven Sacraments.
The students were dressed in the clothing of the people they portrayed. The program gave them the opportunity to have fun while discovering more about their beliefs.
Justin Schabowski, who portrayed David, one of the best known figures in the Bible, said, “I learned that you should have faith in yourself and believe in yourself.”
Other students learned about role models with whom they may not have been familiar.
“Queen Esther was a great hero,” explained Riley O’Brien, who portrayed the woman who stood up to the prime minister of Persia. He wanted to kill Jews who didn’t follow Haman custom. “She was shy and quiet but she spoke up to protect the Jewish people.”
For many of the students, the lesson was one of greater understanding of knowledge they already knew.
As Megan O’Donnell, who portrayed God at creation explained, “God created something different each day.”
*The attached/referenced article was originally published in The Catholic Spirit, the official newspaper of the Diocese of Metuchen, and is protected under U.S. and international copyright law