December 2024

Our next monthly Sunday Community Mass will take place tomorrow, December 8th at 9:00 a.m. in the Chapel of St. Augustine. We encourage our school families who regularly attend Sunday Mass at their local parish to consider joining us for this monthly Sunday Mass. The Mass will give us an opportunity to meet each other and pray together. We will join for a time of fellowship in the Dining Hall after Mass. To help us with our planning, we would ask families to RSVP by clicking here so we can take an appropriate count for the Coffee and Donut Hour.

Students are required to attend with their parents. We look forward to seeing you December 8th as we strengthen each other through this act of celebrating Mass together.

On Monday, December 9th, Austin Prep will welcome Fr. Art Johnson, O.S.A., to campus to celebrate the Mass of the Immaculate Conception. As always for Schoolwide Masses, Chapel Dress is required of all students.

This Mass will be extra special as Dr. James Hickey, Head of School, and his wife, Mrs. Cindy Hickey P’22, ’23, ’24, ’27, will be affiliated to the Order of St. Augustine, Province of St. Thomas of Villanova.

Friars can nominate individuals for affiliation because of their exemplary service to the Order. The community of friars at St. Augustine Church in Andover, including Fr. Art, Fr. Peter Gori, O.S.A., Austin Prep Class of 1970, and Fr. John Dello Russo, O.S.A., where Dr. and Mrs. Hickey are parishioners, nominated them for their commitment to Augustinian education and the Augustinian way of life.

Affiliation is the highest honor that the Order can bestow on a lay person. According to the Constitutions of the Order of St. Augustine, “The Order has the faculty of affiliating to itself the faithful who merit special recognition because of their distinguished cooperation for the good of the Order. By reason of this affiliation, they belong to the Augustinian Family and share in all of the spiritual benefits of the Order.” After their nomination was approved by the Provincial Council in Villanova, PA, the affiliation of Dr. and Mrs. Hickey was approved in Rome by the Prior General of the Order of St. Augustine.

Through her own vocation as an educator and steadfast mom, Cindy Hickey has supported the work of her husband, volunteered countless hours for Austin Prep, and been a quiet source of inspiration for many, especially the staff at St. Augustine School where she worked for many years.

We are grateful for the spiritual bond that the Hickey’s will share with the Augustinians and we look forward to celebrating them on Monday. 

The most wonderful time of the year is upon us! We look forward to the return of Austin Prep's holiday traditions. More details will follow, but please save the date as preparations are underway for the following events:

Lessons and Carols

Monday, December 9th, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. Performance will take place in the Chapel of St. Augustine for families of Austin Prep Band and Choir students.

The Nutcracker

Monday, December 16th, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. Performance will take place at the Collins Center in Andover.

Alex and Janine Martinelli P'28, '29 generously sponsored the Christmas Tree this year.

On Thursday the community embraced the festive spirit as Austin Prep celebrated its newest school Christmas tradition – the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. Led by prayers read by Fr. Patrick Armano, School Chaplain, and Sr. Maria Gorreth Nassali, Assistant Head of School for Mission and Ministry, and a welcome from Head of School, James Hickey, Ph.D., the community gathered in front of the Dining Hall Patio to witness the magic unfold as we illuminated our magnificent tree. Following the lighting we continued the celebration with hot cocoa and Christmas cookies in the Dining Hall, with an appearance from Santa Claus. It was a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season together in a spirit of unity and joy. 

Thank you to everyone who joined us, and for the generous support of Alex and Janine Martinelli P'28, '29 who sponsored the Christmas Tree this year. View photos from the night here.

The most wonderful time of the year is upon us! We look forward to continuing to celebrate Austin Prep's holiday traditions. 

The Nutcracker

Monday, December 16th, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. Performance will take place at the Collins Center in Andover.

On Monday, December 9th, Austin Prep welcomed Fr. Art Johnson, O.S.A., to campus to celebrate the Mass of the Immaculate Conception. This Mass was extra special as Dr. James Hickey, Head of School, and his wife, Mrs. Cindy Hickey P’22, ’23, ’24, ’27, were affiliated to the Order of St. Augustine, Province of St. Thomas of Villanova. Fr. Art's homily, the presentation, and Dr. Hickey's remarks can be viewed above.

Friars can nominate individuals for affiliation because of their exemplary service to the Order. The community of friars at St. Augustine Church in Andover, including Fr. Art, Fr. Peter Gori, O.S.A., Austin Prep Class of 1970, and Fr. John Dello Russo, O.S.A., where Dr. and Mrs. Hickey are parishioners, nominated them for their commitment to Augustinian education and the Augustinian way of life. It was a milestone event for Austin Prep, and many members of the school community offered congratulatory words to the Hickeys, which you can view above.

Shortly after the Mass, Dr. Hickey sent the following to the School community:

Dear Austin Prep Parents,

Today during special mass for our entire community, Austin Prep received a special honor. It was a truly exceptional milestone in the School’s heritage.  Last month, my wife, Cindy, and I were affiliated to the Order of St. Augustine at St. Augustine Church in Andover.  According to the Constitutions of the Order of St. Augustine, “The Order has the faculty of affiliating to itself the faithful who merit special recognition because of their distinguished cooperation for the good of the Order.  By reason of this affiliation, they belong to the Augustinian Family and share in all of the spiritual benefits of the Order.”

Affiliation is the highest honor that the Order can bestow.  The affiliation, which was approved by the Prior General of the Order of St. Augustine in Rome, recognized Austin Prep for its commitment to the Augustinian way of life.  Although Cindy and I were formally affiliated to the Augustinians, the honor and recognition is not ours.  It belongs to the Austin Prep Family, including all the members of the Austin Prep Family who came before us.

On Saturday at the Parents Signature event, I had a conversation with a new parent who told me her daughter came home after school on the Monday after Thanksgiving and said, “someone really cares about Austin Prep” (in reference to the campus being adorned with Christmas decorations).  The truth is there are many people across multiple generations who really care about Austin Prep – students, parents, alumni, trustees, former trustees, friars, past parents, and grandparents.  And many of them returned to campus this morning to celebrate this special moment and mark the occasion.

Father Arthur Johnson, O.S.A., who was the main celebrant of the mass, literally opened the doors of Austin Prep when our first students arrived on campus in 1963.  He has been a consequential part of Austin Prep’s “restless” journey for more than 60 years.  No other person in the School’s history can match Father Art’s abiding presence.  And to hear him say, on behalf of his Augustinian brothers, how proud and grateful the Friars are of Austin Prep’s unceasing work to advance veritas, unitas, and caritas was unparalleled. 

Of special note, Anthony Pimentel P ’99, ’01 GP ’27,’29 was present for the mass.  Tony was Chair of the Board of Trustees when I was a candidate for Head of School about 13 years ago when both the Hickey Family and the Austin Prep Family were learning more about each other.  Through Tony’s leadership and advocacy, the Board of Trustees, at the time, took a chance on this guy from New York who had a funny accent and supported New York sports teams.  Despite all that, the Austin Prep Family welcomed the Hickey Family and, because of a deep and shared commitment to the mission of Austin Prep, the rest was history.

Today was a day of celebration for Austin Prep and to mark this special day when the Austin Prep Family was recognized for promoting the Augustinian way of life, I used Head of School prerogative in two ways.  First, I asked Sage Dining to serve a student favorite for lunch today.  And secondly, I granted a Head of School Holiday on Friday, December 20 to extend Christmas break by one day.  If the students were uncertain about the meaning of today’s events, I suspect a popular menu item and an extra day added to Christmas break helped with messaging.  It must have worked since the students erupted with excitement.  Chicken tenders and Head of School holidays seem to go well together!

Austin Prep stood tall.  The Austin Prep Choir and our 6^th Grade Choir were spectacular.  In addition, we had a special guest choir of sorts – the Boys Hockey Team stepped up to lead the students and staff in some of the hymns during mass.  That moment stood out, for sure.  You might even say epic – and I was understandably proud.  I suspect St. Augustine was proud as well since he said that when you sing you pray twice.

For seven decades, Austin Prep has endured on a tireless journey with a “restless heart” in the footsteps of St. Augustine.  Since the day when the brick and mortar at 101 Willow Street was first set, we have built a sturdy foundation and fortified it with the Augustinian values of veritas, unitas, and caritas.  These guiding and timeless values are uncompromising.  They are clear and unfailing Catholic markers on a pathway that charts the course from this life to the eternal one.

More than once, Cindy and I have paused in the last week or two to give thanks for the gift of Austin Prep’s Catholic mission, for our Augustinian community which gives it meaning, and our spiritual journey in the footsteps of St. Augustine which helps bring it to fulfillment. 

Cindy and I are incredibly grateful to be a part of the Austin Prep Family.  And more than ever, we’re all in.

The Austin Prep community gathered recently for two shows of the annual Christmas tradition of Lessons and Carols, first with a performance for students during the school day on December 4th, followed by a performance for parents of performers in the Chapel of St. Augustine on Monday night. The shows included traditional Christmas hymns and carols by the Austin Prep Choir, the Austin Prep 6th Grade and Middle School Choir, and the Austin Prep Band, as well as scripture readings and short passages about the true meaning of the season. Photos from the Richard J. Meelia '67 Hall show can be viewed here, and photos from the Chapel of St. Augustine show can be viewed here.  A video of the 6th Grade and Middle School Choir performing can be viewed by clicking above. 

This week Austin Prep continued its over 30 year Christmas tradition of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, with performances at the Collins Center in Andover on Monday and Tuesday. Nearly 200 students participated in the shows, which were both exceptional. You can view photos from the Monday night performance here and the Tuesday night performance here, a video highlight here. 

Did you miss this year's performance of The Nutcracker? You can view the entire night one performance above. Night two will be available shortly. Enjoy the encore performance! A special thank you to all those across our school community who help make the shows a reality!

 

Austin Prep Seniors were welcomed to Head of School Dr. James Hickey's office Thursday for the annual Head's Christmas Open House. They shared Christmas cheer, complete with breakfast bites, refreshments, pastries, cookies, and more. How about those Christmas sweaters? View photos here.