'Tis the season of joy, gratitude, and thanksgiving. Many of you probably reflect on your time at St. Mary's and remember Mrs. Cowles making soul cakes, the special person's lunch, buying gifts at the Santa Store, the Christmas Luncheon, the annual Christmas Concert and pageant, roller skating, and class parties and crafts. Although we are still operating in a pandemic, we still have some traditions that have thrived and new ones being made. We know God has prepared us and he never gives us something we can't handle or overcome. St. Mary's is still a joyous place during Advent and Christmas season. With Christmas music playing and visits from St. Nick. We wait to celebrate the birth of Jesus, our savior, and celebrate our families, alumni, parish, community, and each other. Take a glimpse at the little things that we are grateful for and that bring us glad tidings!

If you know the answer to any of our picture questions, send us an email @ sms.alumni@dor.org.

We have such amazing alumni and here is a saint we want to highlight!

Any suggestions for future alumni spotlights? Send us an email @ sms.alumni@dor.org.

Krista Laskowski is a very talented young adult and got her big music start at St. Mary's.

We interviewed Krista about how St. Mary's helped her in her music career as an Operatic Mezzo-Soprano and other special memories she wanted to share.

How did St. Mary's influence your career?
St. Mary’s helped grow my love of music. Mrs. Seppeler, the music teacher at the time, started “St. Mary’s Singers” which gave us the opportunity to make music outside of school hours. She also allowed us to perform solos in the Christmas and Spring concerts, encouraged us to work on solo pieces to perform at NYSSMA Solo Festivals, and had us participate in All-County and Area All-State Choirs.

Other St. Mary's memories?
I’ll never forget how excited we would get on dress down days, Mrs. Benson’s gum balls, Mrs. Dunlap’s reading bathtub, Mrs. Cowles’ fried dough on All Souls Day, participating in the talent shows, Sunday basketball, and playing four square during recess (just to name a few).
I will always cherish the friendships that I was able to make at St. Mary’s. To this day, my best friends are girls that graduated with me at St. Mary’s.

Thank you, Krista for sending us down memory lane during a season that reminds us to reminiscence.

It was with great sadness we learned during Thanksgiving weekend of the passing of our school's great friend and angel Mary "Aunt Ginny" Crowley. She was an angel for starting our well-loved St. Genesius Players (theatre group) and as our biggest supporter at basketball games, concerts, and special lunches. Many a times she mentioned to students that she wished so many times as a kid, she had attended St. Mary's School.

Now, she is an angel in heaven watching over us still directing our theatre group and cheering us on. Aunt Ginny was never selfish and even her final wishes was not to receive flowers for her funeral, but to ask others to contribute to the school's St. Genesius Theater Program. Any donations received in her memory will be used towards the refurbishment of the stage.

To read more about this fascinating angel, please click on her obituary link. https://www.mpnnow.com/obituaries/p0168288

Many alumni donated to the annual Roc the Day. We raised $1500 for new lockers on both the elementary and middle school floors.

If you haven't had a chance or would like to still donate, we are still accepting donations.

We also have a few other options to support the school:

• Lakeshore Liquor and Wine on Routes 5&20 in the Michael's plaza will donate 20% of purchases made each Monday to the school. Just mention St. Mary's.
• Monthly Restaurants - Each month a local restaurant agrees to donate a portion of purchases made on a given day to the school. Check out our Facebook page StMarysCanandaigua to see what upcoming restaurants are participating.

Join us at noon on Friday, June 10, 2022 in Dougherty Hall for a special lunch served by our Middle School House Program. We want to give everyone an opportunity to connect with each other; meet some future alumni; look through some old yearbooks; and maybe stay for a game of volleyball or four square against our current middle school kids.

If interested, please RSVP to sms.alumni@dor.org.