St. John’s students prepare for Lent like many places – with a Mardi Gras parade! 

Okay, the Eagles’ parade looks very different: as the parade moves through the hallway, each class joins in as it passes their classroom. They bring along with them a butterfly they have created, drawn, or colored in. These butterflies symbolize the alleluias typically said during chapel. As they process, the students show off their beautiful creations to the bystanders along the hallway while listening to jazzy Mardi Gras music.

The parade route eventually ends up in the gymnasium for the Farewell to Alleluias. During this time, the students step forward one at a time to put away their alleluia butterflies into a chest for the season of Lent. They are put away for the next six weeks because during that time, we don’t say ‘alleluia’ in chapel or weekend worship. Lent is an intentional time of reflection, so joyous words of praise are temporarily put on hold until the celebration of Easter. On Easter, the alleluia butterflies will be ‘released’ to decorate the walls of the altar space!

If you would like to join to watch the St. John’s Mardi Gras Parade and Farewell to Alleluia’s, please plan to be at school by 1:30pm on February 17th so that you can sign-in at the school office and then get a spot in the hallway to enjoy the procession!