Imagine a dark auditorium filled with hundreds of students, faculty, administration, and alumni, slowly lighting up as each person in the room lights a candle. It is certainly a sight to remember. Christmas Liturgy is a beloved NDP tradition that gathers the entire school as well as alumni from the previous year to share in God’s love through the gift of light. As we pass the flame to one another, we share with each other the gift of God’s presence, and the experience is truly a bonding one for the NDP sisters.

On December 20, 2022, the entirety of the Notre Dame Prep community assembled to watch our annual Christmas concert. The chorus, chamber choir, orchestra, and concert band ensembles performed beautifully to get everyone into the Christmas spirit. After the concert, the wonderful tradition of Christmas Liturgy began. Osolu Ozo-Onyali ’23 gave a beautiful, powerful Call to Worship and set the tone for the upcoming Christmas break. Following the homily and the sharing of Communion, the entire choir blessed us with the gift of music as their voices filled the auditorium with “O Holy Night”, with senior Maddy Hutsell as a soloist. It was a beautiful end to the liturgy as well as the 2022 year.

The auditorium felt even more filled than normal, as the Classes of ’22, ’21, and ’20 had been invited back to enjoy the liturgy. Because of the pandemic, these classes were not given a normal Christmas Liturgy for their senior year. It was a special gift given to these classes, arranged by the faculty and staff of NDP. The halls were filled with students of past years, and it was a bittersweet moment to see so many alumni making the halls feel alive. Reunions and hugs were shared, tears were shed, and teachers got to see some of their favorite past students.