PILGRIMS

A group of 91 pilgrims led by Fr. Michael Scanlan, TOR, will be visiting St. Thomas on January 11. They will visit the Our Lady of Cassi Hill Shrine for prayer, meet students and offer a donation to Ss. Peter and Paul School and attend Mass at the Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral before returning to their cruise ship.

POLISH PRIEST HELPS PARISH

MARTIN LUTHER KING STUDENT AWARDS

Kearil Abraham of Ss. Peter and Paul School will be among the students honored at a Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., memorial by the Hebrew Congregation of St. Thomas on Friday, January 12. The annual ceremony, done in the synagogue within the context of the Reform Jewish worship service, honors one student from each of the seven St. Thomas high schools. Principals or guidance counselors nominated students whose lives exemplified Dr. King's teachings. In addition to the recognition, the students will receive a $500 U.S. Savings Bond and a book, Shared Dreams: Martin Luther King and the Jewish Community.

The Erev Shabbat service begins at 6:30 p.m., with a reception afterwards across the street in the congregation's Lilienfeld House.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

Over 8,000 Catholic Schools throughout the United States, including the four Catholic schools in the Diocese of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, will celebrate Catholic Schools Week 2007 from Sunday, January 28, to Saturday, February 3. This year's theme is "Catholic Schools: the Good News in Education."

Catholic Schools Week is a joint project between the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

AUCTION WILL RAISE FUNDS FOR SCHOOL LIBRARY

St. Mary School on St. Croix will hold its annual fundraising dinner and auction at the Divi Carina Bay Ballroom on Saturday, February 6. Cocktails will be served at 6:00 p.m., dinner at 7:00 p.m.

Donations of furniture, jewelry, art, small appliances, home decorations and more are requested for the silent and live bidding.

The theme this year is "Going on Safari." Dinner tickets are available for $75 at Holy Cross Church and St. Mary School.

St. Mary School is hosting its Gala to raise $100,000 toward upgrading the library. With these funds, the library's reference and nonfiction collections will be updated and shelf space will be created for the 1500 new fiction titles recently acquired through the federally-funded Title V program. The funds will also finance the construction of an access to the adjoining video room.

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SANTO NINO CELEBRATION

The annual celebration honoring the "Santo Nino" (baby Jesus) at Holy Cross Church on St. Croix on Sunday, January 21, will highlight the faith, music and culture of the Philippine Islands.

As in previous years, Msgr. George Tomachik of Philadelphia will be flown in by the Philippino community on St. Croix to celebrate the Mass. Msgr. Tomachik ministers to Philippino communities around the world.

A choir comprised of Philippinos from the various parishes of St. Croix will sing hymns in English and Tagalo, the principal dialect of the Philippines.

The 11 :00 a.m. Mass will be followed by a luncheon at the McAlpin Hall hosted by the Santo Nino committee.

OUR LADY OF ALTA GRACIA

The Hispanic community in the Virgin Islands will honor Nuestra Senora de Altagracia (Our Lady of High Graces), patroness of the Dominican Republic, with Spanish Masses and receptions featuring Dominican cuisine on her feast day, January 21.

On St. Croix, St. Joseph Church will honor Nuestra Senora de Altagracia at 10:00 a.m. On St. Thomas, Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral will celebrate the Mass at 12:30 p.m. On St. John, the Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady ofMt. Carmel Church at 5:00 p.m.

THE CATHOLIC ISLANDER    *JANUARY 2007 *    4

Fr. Mariusz Bigiel, SJ, of Poland will assist Msgr.

Jerome Feudjio at Holy Family Church on St. Thomas until the end of March.