Merry Christmas! It may sound like I am too late to be wishing you a Merry Christmas, however, it is important to remember that the Christmas Season begins on Christmas Day.
“The Christmas season begins with the celebration of the birth of Jesus, Christmas day, or as a vigil on Christmas Eve. The Feast of Christmas lasts 12 days, until Epiphany. However, the time from Epiphany until the Baptism of the Lord is also included in the Christmas season. Traditionally, Epiphany had been fixed to January 6th, and the Baptism celebrated on the octave of Epiphany, which was January 13th. In most countr...
Read MoreJanuary 1st is a treasured and solemn day in the liturgical calendar, for it is the day when the universal Church honors the special role of the Holy Mother of God, which is especially fitting as we continue our celebration of Christmas day.
January 1st is also an important day in the secular calendar, as it marks the beginning of a new year. Pope John Paul II sought to engage the culture by capitalizing on the natural rhythm of the secular calendar, using January 1st as an opportunity to teach about peace and justice. Every new beginning includes an internal inclination within the human spiri...
Read MoreMerry Christmas
As I was sitting spellbound in our new building last evening at the ‘18th annual Mount Royal Christmas Pageant’, my thoughts were immediately brought to just how far we have come from the '1st annual Mount Royal Christmas Pageant’. But have we?
On my way to the office this morning after dropping off my nine year old at MRA, my thoughts went back to the early formative days of MRA. We had very humble beginnings to say the least. MRA occupied a wing of an old hospital building. The patient’s rooms were the classrooms. The newborn nursery was the office. The hallway was the site o...
Read MorePlease check us out on facebook and "like" our page.
The facebook page offers daily announcements concerning school events, and it is also an amazing networking tool to communicate the mission of Mount Royal Academy.
Read MoreThe core of the social studies curriculum at MRA is the study of our own nation's founding, and the positive values that instigated the revolution of the colonists against the British. Enduring ideas such as respect for human dignity, freedom for the good, religious tolerance, and the natural law inspired the colonists to act. In the French Revolution, rebels were inspired by a different set of core values - values associated with the philosophy of the Enlightenment - which ultimately led to immoral and poor actions on behalf of those leading the revolution.
We challenge students to discover t...
Read MoreMount Royal is extremely excited to have 4 basketball teams this season! What a wonderful way to give thanks to God for the beautiful gymnasium that he has so generously given us?
Our basketball program is comprised of a junior high level boys and girls team, and also a high school boys and girls roster.
The junior high teams have been invited into the Merrimack Basketball League, and we have gratefully accepted the invitation. We also have games scheduled against local public and private schools from the surrounding area.
The high school teams compete against member schools of the Southern Ne...
Read MoreDear Families,
The word “Advent” come from the Latin word “adventus” meaning arrival.
It is the season when we prepare our hearts for the arrival of Christ on Christmas. As we enjoy our annual school traditions this Advent I am realizing how important they are to the children. Many of the students have been checking with their teachers to make sure we are continuing certain traditions this year and visibly happy to hear they will continue.
I was recently reading an article by Allison Woods titled, “More Than Memories: The Importance of Traditions”. In it Ms. Woods makes that point that trad...
Read MoreLast week the Mount Royal Student Government sponsored a popular and developing tradition: Spirit Week. Spirit Week is an opportunity where students demonstrate their passion for Mount Royal. Like most school-wide events, upper school students and lower school students come together and enjoy each others company.
On Monday we celebrated our weekly Mass, bringing together all of those special intentions that have been entrusted to our school community, and presenting them to Jesus in the highest form of prayer, the Holy Sacrifice on the altar.
Tuesday was a day when visitors to the school certa...
Read MoreNovember 25, 2011
As I was cleaning my desk the other day I came across a note that was made to myself. The note simple said, “reflection on MRA graduation”. The deadline Mr. Tremblay gave me was woefully missed!
There were a myriad of thoughts and emotions running through my being that beautiful June day. Both sets of grandparents were in attendance. Our recently transferred pastor Father Richard St. Louis was officiating the graduation ceremony which included Mass at St. Joachim. (It must be noted that Fr. Rick was a great supporter of the Mount Royal Mission.) There were the party plans a...
Read MoreMount Royal Academy hosted its 4th annual Holiday Shopping Event in early November. While the event had been run in previous years, this was the first time it was held in the new gymnasium in the St. Joseph Center. More than 30 vendors sold items ranging from lighted pine cone baskets to American Girl doll clothes, wooden items to jewelry, wooden folk art to locally made maple products. Particularly popular were the hand knit and hand crocheted hats and many kids could be seen walking around sporting their new hear wear.
Vendors were very pleased with the event and many have already reserved...
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