By Olivia Simms
This 2024-2025 school year McNicholas continues to celebrate the tradition of class candles. When the freshman class held their Day of Renewal in October, the class created a class candle to celebrate their unity as a class. This tradition began approximately 20 years ago with Mrs. Mary Beth Sandmann, Theology Department chair and a member of the Mission and Ministry Team, Mr. Jeff Hutchinson-Smyth, Theology teacher and member of the Mission and Ministry Team, and Ms. Sarah Dodds.
The freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior class candles are located in the Theology hallway on top of the lockers outside Sandmann’s classroom. Sandmann said these class candles accompany the students for, “retreats, class masses, and any time the class is gathered together not just to be together, but with a purpose there, and that purpose is to ultimately be centered in Christ.”
Class Candles began at McNicholas because it is something that each person can contribute to. Adding a drip of candle wax represents the start of letting the student “bring something to light” as they enter the McNicholas community, Hutchinson-Smyth said. McNicholas adds color to the wax on freshman renewal because it shows an impactful welcoming into McNicholas. After each class leaves, the class candles are stored in a storage space and are bought out for class reunions. Sandmann, Hutchinson-Smyth, and the Mission and Ministry Team are in charge of class candles as years go on.
The McNicholas Milestone 