Immaculate Conception School began its school year celebrations recently as they honored the birthday of the school’s patron Saint, the Blessed Mother Mary.

The feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated each year on the eighth of September. Usually it is the custom of the Catholic Church to celebrate the feast day of a saint on the date of their death, as it is the day remembered as their birth into everlasting happiness.

Mary is a little different as she was born sinless through Immaculate Conception, and her birth seems to signify the end of a dark period and the beginning of an era of hope and everlasting life. The date of Sept. 8 was chosen as it is truly nine months after the feast of the Immaculate Conception celebrated on Dec. 8 each year.

The students and staff began their day Wednesday in a Mass of Thanksgiving for the gift of the Blessed Mother. At lunch the entire school was treated to Mother Mary’s birthday cake!