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(COVINGTON, La.) Continuing an over 40-year tradition at St. Paul’s School, the Student Council headed an effort last Tuesday (Dec. 12) to set up for the Luminarias Celebration. The event, which involves placing white paper bags illuminated with candles across campus, was brought to St. Paul’s from Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was originally celebrated the evening before boarding students were to return home for Christmas, and put on by the Key Club. It was in the second year of its celebration that a word was formed in the bleachers of the football field, which now serves as the focal point of each annual display. This year’s word was “Veni,” which is Latin for “to come.”

At 6 p.m. on the evening of this year’s event, the campus was opened for students, parents and anyone in the community to walk or drive through campus to view the display. Subsequently, Christmas carols echoed across campus as the spectators gathered in Founder’s Circle at 6:30 p.m. At the strike of the 7 p.m. bell, the visitors filed into the chapel for a service put on by the Student Council Executive Board. During the service, Student Council Vice President Carson Caulfield gave a reflection bringing to light the meaning of “veni” by relating it to the movie “My Cousin Vinny.”

Following the service, the St. Paul’s Jazz Band entertained the crowd at a reception held in the cafeteria.

Altogether, the event brought together over 50 student volunteers from organizations such as the Key Club and the National Honor Society, and attracted hundreds of viewers.

(Photos by: Carson Caulfield, Lester Guttuso, Mimi Monteiro.)