COAL TOWNSHIP - Our Lady of Lourdes Regional School celebrated the feast of its patroness, Our Lady of Lourdes, Tuesday.
The program included a prayer service and induction ceremonies for the French and Spanish honor societies, La Societe Honoraire de Francais and La Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica.
Deacon Martin P. McCarthy, Lourdes administrator and high school principal, presided over the prayer service, which was coordinated by French teacher Ann Mains and Spanish teacher Brian Major.
Grace Rompolski welcomed the congregation to the prayer service. French students Riley Feese, Shawn Khanna, William Stewart, Cage Crissman, Caitlin Funk, Brittney Lahr, Claudia Rawa, Rompolski, Kayleigh Shovlin, Emily Troutman, Carmella Bickel, Erika Kapushinski, Landon Wary, Elizabeth Alexander, Charles Aurand, Alexa Ericson, Olivia Giles, Brooke Korkuch, Bethany Kuehner and Taryn Riegel sang the entrance hymn, "Ave Maria de Lourdes."
Crissman and Funk led the congregation in praying the Hail Mary in French and English and Jessica DeLong and Mikayla Persing led the Litany of Our Lady of Lourdes in Spanish and English. Shovlin read the Intercessions and Nicholas Taylor was the cross bearer.
Stewart and Dakota Maneval conducted the candle-lighting ceremony, "La Course du Flambeau," during which three new members were inducted into the Societe Honoraire de Francais. The new members include Crissman, Shovlin and Troutman. After the induction, Troutman led the French students as they prayed the Consecration a la Sainte Mere de Dieu.
Taylor and Rachel Shultz conducted the Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica initiation ceremony. The new inductees included Nicholas Adams, Taylor Bozza, Celine Jones, Maya Khanna, Kristen Komara, Marcus O'Brien and Maya Yoder. Each new member lit a candle, the flame of which symbolizes inspiration toward high ideals.
The purpose of the language honor societies is to reward high scholastic achievement and to stimulate interest in the study of world languages and culture. Candidates must be in at least the second semester of level two of their language studies. They must have also attained a minimum average of 90 in the language for the six quarters prior to their induction.
McCarthy presented certificates to the new inductees.
After the prayer service, a reception was held for the members of the honor societies and their guests.