Catholic Schools Week: St. Vincent de Paul School presents Christmas Program recounting their 60-year history

Courtesy of St. Vincent de Paul Parish School

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St. Vincent de Paul students portrayed a dramatization of their school’s 60-year history for their Christmas program on Dec. 14.

St. Vincent de Paul School’s annual Christmas program on Dec. 14 was more special than ever before because the school is celebrating its 60th anniversary. The program told the story of St. Vincent’s six decades through a mix of dramatization, choral and band pieces, handbell performances, and mallet instrument and guitar-accompanied songs. The program centered around the history of St. Vincent School from its founding with Mrs. Louise Best as a founding teacher and Msgr. Mark O. Benvegnu as the parish pastor, to the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary who staffed the school for 29 years, to present day.

“The program told an embellished history of the school with Christmas carols woven into the story,” said Scott Larrabee, the school’s music director and author of the dramatization. “For example, since the property where the school sits used to be an orchard, our third-graders sang a song called ‘The Cherry Tree Carol.’ Our eighth graders were able to play the parts of the founders Mrs. Louise Best and Father Benvegnu, as well as the Irish sisters who were some of the first teachers. We incorporated a visual slideshow with actual historical photos from the school archives that depicted what the students were doing live on stage (such as Irish dancing and guitar playing).”

Among the songs that were performed were “Children Go Where I Send Thee,” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” “Pray Give Us Lodging,” “Wexford Carol,” “I Sing of a Night in Bethl’em” and “Jubilee” (a song composed and written by Scott Larrabee). The performance culminated with the entire student body singing their schoolwide favorite song, “Jesus Is,” which was composed by Larrabee with lyrics by Mike O’Brien, the author of Monastery Mornings.

Courtesy of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School