St. Joseph altar is a labor of love for St. Christopher seventh graders

For the last three years, the seventh-grade students from St. Christopher the Martyr School in Metairie – with the help of their parents and a few volunteers – have been responsible for the school’s ornate St. Joseph altar.

The 25 students and their parents were tasked with bringing Italian food dishes for the altar and making and filling gift bags for visitors who came to view the altar on March 19.

Three parishioners – Karen Betz, Maya Garrison and Kathy Deas – used their expert altar-building skills to assemble the structure for the students to place the St. Joseph items on, said Cindy Adams Brown, seventh-grade religion teacher and altar organizer. 

Other parishioners and teachers donated items for the altar.

Every class at St. Christopher received a personalized tour from a seventh-grade student, and each older student was paired with a younger student to explain the history of the altar and the traditional items that were on display. Parents, grandparents, family, friends, neighbors and parishioners were invited to visit the altar on St. Joseph’s Day.

“Every visitor that day left with a gift bag containing a piece of blessed bread, a lucky bean, a St. Joseph medal, a prayer card and a few cookies,” Adams Brown said. “All of the items had been blessed by Father Raymond Igbogidi that morning prior to Mass.” 

On the day of the altar, seventh-grade students were also treated to an “Italian luncheon experience" in lieu of a school lunch. 

They dined in the parish center, which was decorated with the Italian flag colors of red, white and green. The meal consisted of meatless spaghetti, salad, green bean casserole, bread and Italian desserts, all provided by the room mothers and other volunteers.

“In addition to the students receiving a meal, faculty were also treated to an Italian meal, consisting of similar food offerings, but this meal was generously provided by the principal’s family and faculty volunteers in the teachers’ lounge,” Adams Brown said.

After the altar was disassembled on the evening of March 19, the food items that had been displayed were distributed to local charities and nursing homes.

“This project has become a favorite religion project for our seventh graders,” Adams Brown said.  “Each year our students and visitors marvel at the beautiful outcome of the altar, and our seventh graders take pride in helping the less fortunate in our community.”