St. Patrick's Celebrates Patron

St. Patrick's School in Chatham Borough celebrated the feast day of their patron Thursday with a series of activities for students, parents and teachers.

Dr. Marian Hobbie, the principal at St. Patrick's, said that each year they bring in bagpipers to play as children arrive for school on St. Patrick's Day. After school begins, the bagpipers walk through the school building. "The children really enjoy it," Hobbie said.

Meanwhile, parents gather in the Parish Center for coffee and green bagels. Some of the parents also put together a separate reception for the teachers to enjoy as well. Then the school and parents meet for morning Mass.

This year at the Mass, Pat Van Arsdalen announced a scholarship in memory of her mother, Agnes Lunetta, a long-time Chatham resident and parishioner at St. Patrick's. Lunetta lived with her husband and three children, including Van Arsdalen, in a house on Hedges Avenue that has since been torn down.

Lunetta died on Oct. 23, 2009, and Pat said she was often visited by the Rev. Edward Hinds until her death.

The scholarship in Lunetta's memory asked 7th-graders at St. Patrick's School to  write an essay describing their faith journey. Van Arsdalen, who read the essays and chose the winner, said, "I just knew I would pick the one that spoke to me."

Van Arsdalen selected Krista Collins as the winner of the $1,000 scholarship toward tuition for next year.