A very special guest made an appearance at St. Mark Catholic School’s Feast of Saint Nicholas – St. Nick himself. A costumed Monsignor Richard Bellow, pastor of St. Mark Catholic Church, spoke to students about St. Nicholas, the saint widely given credit for beginning the tradition of gift-giving at Christmas.

Students attended the assembly wearing only one shoe. The other shoes were left outside the classrooms and filled with candy and toys, another nod to the tradition that began with St. Nicholas leaving gifts in the shoes of poor villagers. Students also pledged to do an act of kindness this holiday season by writing the act on a strip of yellow paper. The pieces of paper were used to line the manger of the nativity set currently on display in the school lobby.