Why is Christmas so important to Mayfield? Head of School Kate Morin explains!
Christmastime at Mayfield Senior School—is there anything more special? With our beautiful Strub Hall decorated with sparkling lights and tinseled greenery, our lovely nativity scene displayed in the chapel and our wonderful angel soaring above the living room mantel, there is no place like Mayfield for the holiday!
At Mayfield we celebrate this blessed season with many cherished traditions. Carol Night filled our school with exquisite music (the cookies and punch were great too), and our annual Christmas concert last Sunday was truly magical. But probably the most beloved Mayfield tradition is Kris Kinds. I have not yet discovered the origins of this ritual or the reason behind the name, but I do know that everyone—students, faculty, and staff all love our school-wide Secret Santa.
It is totally appropriate that our Mayfield community celebrates Christmas with whole and full hearts. As a Holy Child School we share our Founder, Cornelia Connelly’s devotion to the nativity. The birth of the Our Lord—God coming to us as a helpless baby born in a humble barn—represents the heart of the Holy Child mission. This is the foundational belief that God is with us, and in us, and works through us with a powerful force of love. We are never abandoned, we are never alone, we are always cherished, and the proof is that we were given the most precious gift imaginable in the form of a newborn baby.
Our beloved friend and mentor Sr. Barbara Mullen, SHCJ, summed this up in her beautiful prayer:
A Christmas Prayer
by Sr. Barbara Mullen, SHCJ
(1929-2016)
Oh Divine Child,
This is your time. Christmas is a remembrance of the choice, You, our God, made to become human so that we may become divine.
We celebrate this season with gifts. As we give our gifts to family and friends, help us to reflect that the greatest gift of all is You, this Child of Bethlehem.
With all the busy-ness of the season, give each of us the grace to reflect and rejoice at our gift of you.
May we share in our lives the love and joy that filled your heart and life. We ask in Jesus’ name.
Amen
I pray that your Christmas is filled with joy and blessed spirit of the Holy Child.
With Love and Gratitude,
Kate Morin
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Established in 1931, Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena, CA is a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school for young women grades 9-12. Noted for its rigorous academic program, which includes 28 Advanced Placement and Honors courses, Mayfield’s curriculum is underscored by a philosophy of educating the “whole child,” which also encourages commitment to and excellence in the arts, athletics, community service and spiritual growth. The nurturing environment at Mayfield Senior School allows each student to flourish in an atmosphere of personal attention.
