Every child is told that the spirit of Christmas is in the giving of presents not the receiving of presents. This usually does not stop the child from running down the stairs at 5’o’clock in the morning on Christmas day to open presents. However here at the Mount the students are involved in another yearly tradition that fits with this teaching.
     Every year for the past 8 years, Sister Carolyn receives a list of 8 to 10 families from the Mary our Queen Human Need Committee with the names, ages, and wishes of the families. She then distributes these names throughout the school. Over the course of several weeks students are then responsible for purchasing a gift for their family. These presents are then delivered to the families, just in time for Christmas.
     “I feel that this is a good experience for the students” said Sr. Carolyn. It seems the students agree, as participation has been exceptionally high for all 8 years. Each year hundreds of presents have poured in, occupying so much room that this year the day student room was transformed into a temporary distribution center for the presents as they undergo the tedious process of sorting and labeling. However Sr. Carolyn is not alone in this task, as it seems some teachers & students have been bitten by the Christmas bug, and can be seen helping out from time to time, including Mrs. Raabe, Mrs. Stiefvater and other parents.
     But even as this years presents are being packaged up, shipped out, and received, other people are still destitute and need our help. So it seems that this heartwarming Mount Michael tradition will continue for years to come.
                                                                                    ~ Tim Agnew