Stephens 16-7 while the girls topped the Indians 9-6 Hickory's Kasen Tuttle (3) looks to control the ball after a faceoff with St Stephens' Brennan Gomersall (13) during Tuesday evenings match at St Hickory's Jackson Neal (11) holds a ball high away from St Ziggy Hall (44) and Griffin Davis (19) during Tuesday evenings match at St Hickory's Kasen Tuttle (3) looks to control the ball during a faceoff with St Stephens' Jack Pendleton (11) fires a shot on goal against Hickory during Tuesday evenings match at St Stephens' Griffin Davis (19) fires a shot on goal against Hickory during Tuesday evenings match at St Hickory's Kasen Tuttle (3) looks to fire a shot on goal during Tuesday evenings match at St Hickory's Brett Rowland (16) clears the ball against St Stephens' Carter Williams (2) during Tuesday evenings match at St Hickory's Kasen Tuttle (3) looks to dodge St Stephens defender Jose Chavez (8) during Tuesday evenings match at St Hickory's Joey Abel (7) fires and score against St Stepehens' Cayden Austin (9) during Tuesday evenings match at St Stephens' Luke Hedrick (4) tries to avoid Hickory defender Luke Holtzman (8) during Tuesday evenings match at St Stephens' Grayson Davis (18) fires a shot on goal against Hickory's Watts Rogers (23) during Tuesday evenings match at St Stephens' Jack Pendleton (11) tries to avoid contact from Hickory's Landon Powell (17) and Jackson Neal (11) during Tuesday evenings match at St Stephens' Cayden Austin (9) clears the ball against Hickory's Jackson Neal (12) during Tuesday evenings match at St Hickory's Jackson Neal (12) looks to dodge St Stephens defender Cayden Austin (9) to make a shot on goal during Tuesday evenings match at St Hickory's Kasen Tuttle (3) controls the ball after a faceoff with St The win gives the Red Tornadoes a season sweep over the Indians Hickory also beat Saint at home 15-8 on March 13 Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article The wren was then taken door-to-door by “wren boys,” young boys who asked for money in exchange for burying the wren the boys sang a song at each home they visited: Stephen’s Day ensured good luck for the upcoming new year these groups were led by a man dressed as a “hobby horse,” whose costume was made from cloth and a wooden frame women and girls frequently participate as mummers or “wren girls.” The tradition of going house to house on St. Stephen’s Day survives in many other countries, especially in Scandinavia where the day is observed by visiting friends and going to parties The Lord always forgives in His infinite mercy Pope Francis gave this comforing reminder to the faithful on the Feast of St the Pope had opened a Holy Door and celebrated Mass at a Roman prison officially inaugurating the Jubilee of Hope and as told in the Acts of the Apostles' account detailing his martyrdom READ POPE FRANCIS' FULL ANGELUS ADDRESS HERE Stephen seems to be helplessly suffering violence he continues to love even his killers and to offer his life for them who the Holy Father commended had imitated the Lord's mercy and love even at his moment of death "appears to us as a witness of that God who has one great desire: 'that all men be saved' and that none be lost." "is a witness to our Father who wants good and only good for each of His children who never tires of seeking them out and of welcoming them back when "What we have said about Stephen," he stressed " "They do not allow themselves to be killed out of weakness but to make everyone participants in the gift of salvation." they do this for the good of their killers He was one of the seven beatified monks of Tibhirine who were martyred in 1996 during the ten-year civil war in Algeria Superior Christian de Chergé and other six monk brothers Luc Dochier were all beheaded and their heads were discovered two months later not far from Tibhirine "called his future murderer a “last minute friend.”  the Pope encouraged the faithful to reflect on some questions "Do I feel the desire for all to know God and for all to be saved Do I also want the good of those who make me suffer?" and finally "Do I take an interest in and pray for the many brothers and sisters who are persecuted for their faith?" to help us to be courageous witnesses of the Gospel for the salvation of the world Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here If you previously used a social network to login to HighSchoolOT.com click the “Forgot your password” link to reset your password By the Numbers: The top returning rushers in 3A By the Numbers: The top returning quarterbacks in 3A By the Numbers: The top returning defenders in 4A NCHSAA finalizes plans for seeding playoffs, individual state tournaments in new 8-class realignment Cost of admission going up for high school playoff events during the 2025-2026 school year Shot clock, mercy rules, flag football & more: What to expect at the NCHSAA spring meeting Rankings: Leesville, LNC join girls soccer top 25 HighSchoolOT's latest regional Top 15 rankings for girls soccer NCISAA to crown 25 spring sports state champions at these locations Interactive 2025 NCHSAA baseball state playoff brackets Baseball Statewide Top 25: Wesleyan Christian, Apex Friendship, and Asheville join final regular season poll HighSchoolOT's latest regional Top 15 rankings for baseball Softball Playoff Preview: Bracket superlatives, top players, predictions Interactive 2025 NCHSAA softball state playoff brackets NCHSAA finalizes baseball, softball state playoff brackets NCHSAA surveys coaches about RPI formula changes, potential return of MaxPreps ratings Reagan OL Eisa Evans is the first in-state 2026 prospect to commit to Charlotte Marvin Ridge receiver Alex Voss commits to Boston College Providence Day 4-star WR Gordon Sellars commits to Clemson Stephens defeated Elyria (OH) in softball on April 23 Happy Boxing Day! which sounds strange for a country that loves its holidays really love them when they fall on a Friday or Monday what do people do and what is the holiday all about Boxing Day is a day that began in Britain centuries ago "During the Victorian Era — 1837 to 1901 — the upper class would box up leftover food as well as their servants for reliable service all year." "The custom arose because servants, who would have to wait on their masters on Christmas Day, had the next day off. They were given gifts from their masters and would go home to visit their families," according to the Old Farmer's Almanac "Some historians attribute Boxing Day to the small boxes of alms placed near the church doors requesting donations to help the poor during Advent," according to National Day Today members of the church clergy would distribute the donations to needy citizens throughout the community." Boxing Day is celebrated each year on the day after Christmas along with other Commonwealth countries associated with the British Empire Some former British colonies, such as The Bahamas and South Africa also have made it a public holiday The day is an official bank holiday in Britain Boxing Day is a day to relax after all the activities associated with Christmas do a little post-Christmas shopping (or returns) is one of the few English-speaking countries — and former British colonies — that doesn't celebrate Boxing Day it's just another day and employees head back to work While there's no clear reason why the U.S. hasn't adopted Boxing Day as a national holiday, some speculate it's because America became an independent nation well after Britain established the day as an official holiday in 1871 And don't forget, the U.S. did adopt it's own special holiday in 1789, Thanksgiving Stephen's Day?While both days are celebrated on Dec Stephen’s Day is a religious holiday that's also known as the Feast of Saint Stephen Stephen was the first Christian martyr who was known for helping the poor it's because he's mentioned in a popular Christmas song In Ireland, St. Stephen's Day is also called Wren Day, according to Britannica "Irish legend says a wren betrayed St. Stephen as he was hiding from his attackers by flapping its wings or singing thereby giving away the saint’s whereabouts," Britannica said killed and then attached to a pole and taken door-to-door by young boys who asked for money to bury the wren "Capturing one (a wren) and burying it on St Stephen’s Day ensured good luck for the upcoming new year," Britannica said The tradition of wren hunting died out in the 20th century but Wren Day parades still take place in some parts of Ireland — A popular Irish Pub in Downtown Syracuse is keeping centuries of tradition alive with music It's Saint Stephen's Day at Kitty Hoyne's Irish Pub a day dedicated to the Christian Saint Stephen In Ireland this is a public holiday that commemorates the saint who is known as the first Christian martyr and who was known for his service to the poor At Kitty Hoyne's it has become a post-Christmas tradition a time to welcome those out of town and coming back to Central New York for the Christmas holiday to unwind and relax There is an Irish legend that says Saint Stephen was betrayed by a caged bird he had as he was hiding from his enemies December 26 is still known as the day of the "Wren" the Out-of-Door Academy football team employed a blueprint for winning the SSAA Class 4A title that probably gave head coach Rob Hollway a few headaches along the way and suffering injuries during the middle portion of the season including to ace running back Allen Clark Dropping its final three games of the regular season to finish 3-5 provided little indication the team had found it The playoffs provided the definitive answer outscoring its three opponents 116-63 in claiming the title VOTE: The area's best football helmet between down to Manatee and ODA. You decide the winner Along with the Sarasota Christian Blazers and Saint Stephen’s Falcons the Thunder play Friday night in the quarterfinals of the SSAA playoffs top-seeded ODA hosts fourth-seeded Oxbridge Academy Hollway is proud of his team’s accomplishments The Thunder will enter its game against Oxbridge riding a 10-game winning streak while Hollway will enter it secure in the knowledge the ThunderWolves will have to earn any victory Watch Florida HS football games live on NFHS Network His players won’t simply give the game away “What we do is not beat ourselves,” Hollway said I don’t think Allen (Clark) has a fumble the whole season I don’t think we’ve given up a deep shot or a free play all year Look back: Out-of-Door, Saint Stephen's, Sarasota Christian, Classical Academy 2024 football previews well-coached and conditioned team,” he said “We’re not the most athletic team of anybody we play but I think we put all three phases of the game together the success of the Thunder in the postseason will be predicated on how well Clark performs he’s averaging nearly two yards more per carry Clark won’t be hard to spot Friday night by the Oxbridge defense 300-pound offensive lineman Marvin Palominos will be serving as his escort “That’s been kind of our recipe,” Hollway said This has been a really fun team to coach.” Though Allen Clark is the face of the Thunder offense has gotten carries from the wingback position Bradenton Christian transfer Carson Fisher has provided a set of reliable hands when the Thunder elect to throw Hollway said each opponent in the playoffs offers its own set of challenges “I think our advantage is that they have a four-hour bus ride,” he said Remaining at home will be an advantage for top-seed Sarasota Christian in its game against Cambridge Christian the Blazers didn’t dominate as they did in eight-man Head coach Jacob Spenn said the teams he faced this season have a deeper football tradition “I think the biggest thing is that the schools are much more established with football,” he said “Just the physicality of the athletes you’re going against Some of those teams on our eight-man schedule were in their first or second year You can definitely tell that these schools are choosing from a bigger athlete pool.” The added personnel didn’t change SC’s preferred method of attack that being quarterback Ben Millington dropping back and looking to throw He finished the regular season with 2,034 yards passing and 27 TDs the Blazers lost in the quarterfinal round Spenn said he likes his team’s draw this season “I’m excited about where we are this year.” they faced the biggest obstacles on their road to the SSAA playoffs The team which lost to Mount Dora in last year's 5A championship game lost its first four games this season under first-year head coach Chris Valcarcel Saint Stephen’s was beaten up so badly in its 62-14 loss in week 2 to Master's Academy the Falcons were forced to forfeit their game the following week against Northside Christian But the return of running back Cam Brewer has sparked the team to three victories in its last four games We occasionally recommend interesting products and services If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently Stephens Road and Cox Street in reference to an individual struck by a vehicle officers discovered a male victim in the roadway officers discovered the victim was riding a motorcycle when he lost control and fell into the roadway Stephens Road struck the victim and did not stop The victim has been identified as Roney Williams the Patriarchate celebrated the commemoration of the Holy First Martyr and Archdeacon Stephen the Church commemorates the narrative according to the book of Acts of the Apostles (chapter 7) which reads that Stephen was one of the seven deacons elected by the Apostles preaching Jesus to be the Christ when the Sanhedrin convened a meeting and summoned him for confession Then Stephen referred to the history of the Jews concluding that he sees the Son of God sitting at the right side of the Creator Stephen was led to a place in Gethsemane and was stoned to death while he was praying for those who stoned him; “and they laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul” (Acts 7) at the beautiful Church which is built at the place of his stoning Vespers was held in the afternoon and the Divine Liturgy in the morning of the Feast The Services were led by Elder Kamarasis Archimandrite Nectarios with the co-celebration of Archimandrite Makarios as the chanting was delivered by the Hegoumen Archimandrite Epiphanios there was a supplication at the rock of Saint Stephen’s stoning and everybody was offered a reception after dismissal Copyright of website material is allowed provided the reference source is mentioned: Jerusalem Patriarchate – Website - www.jerusalem-patriarchate.info Spring Campaign Launches TODAY!Join us to hit our $60,000 goal fast Mass Propers for Monday of the Third Week of Easter: Entrance Antiphon: The Good Shepherd has risen who laid down his life for his sheep and willingly died for his flock but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God Jn 14:27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you Not as the world gives do I give it to you Jn 12:24: Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies putting off our old self with all its ways for through the healing paschal remedies you have confirmed us to his nature Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit » Enjoy our Liturgical Seasons series of e-books! Today the Roman Martyrology commemorates St convert from Judaism and a professed Priest of the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel Born in 1145 at Jerusalem and died by being stabbed to death in 1220 at Licata Caterina Cittadini is also commemorated today She was an Italian Roman Catholic religious from Bergamo who established the Ursuline Sisters of Saint Jerome Emiliani The order was dedicated to the education of girls in Bergamo and in the surrounding areas and has since expanded outside of the Italian nation leaving you an example that you should follow His steps" (Epistle) The Christian slave might complain that his membership in the Church had not alleviated the harsh conditions of his life Peter points to the example of Christ who was in all things to be the model of the Christian neither was guile found in His mouth," but nevertheless he was subjected to persecution and injustice But the Christian is expected to be a follower of Christ but delivered Himself to him that judged Him unjustly." If then Christians feel that they have not achieved the liberty and the equality they long for they are to remember that Christ had come not to right all the wrongs and injustices in the world but to give an "example that you should follow His steps." Men often complain against God when they suffer what they consider undeserved misfortunes They think that God ought to interfere and punish injustice and wickedness here and now They are like the apostles James and John; they want to call down fire from heaven and destroy those who appear to them to act improperly Christ made it clear that all injustice will be rectified eventually but that for the present He wishes to allow the cockle to grow among the wheat When the proper time comes God will deal with injustice in His own way But it is not only the slave who is to be subject to authority and to recognize that mistreatment patiently borne is a service acceptable to God and meritorious for man Obedience to legitimate authority does not depend on the worthiness of the official exercising authority Christ Himself had commanded His disciples to obey the officials of the Jewish Church even though they might not be personally worthy of the office they held He was obedient first of all to His parents "He went down with them and came to Nazareth He observed the ritual and the laws of the Jewish Church He obeyed the laws of the Roman authorities and paid the tribute they demanded He set off on a Genoese ship on 1 April 1219 and stopped first in Messina before heading off to Civitavecchia before he ended up in Rome to meet with the pope The friar preached in the Basilica of Saint John Lateran while in Rome where he met both Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Dominic He foretold that Francis would receive the stigmata while Francis foretold his premature death.st angelus of jerusalem snip From there he was a guest of the Basilians in Palermo where he was for about a month before preaching in Agrigento for over a month before settling in Licata He had healed seven lepers and the ailing Archbishop of Palermo Bernardo de Castanea while in Palermo He settled on the Sicilian island though his fame as a wonderworker caused crowds to flock to him He also had success in converting some Jews though most Jews in Palermo came to despise him for this since he himself was once Jewish He wanted to convert a Knight named Berenger Catholic tradition states that Berenger was living in incest and that Angelo convinced the knight’s companion to leave him Berenger became enraged and arranged to have him attacked and murdered in front of the Church of Saints Filippo and Giacomo in Licata He didn’t die from the attack until four days after the attack and during that time he prayed for his assassin and asked the civil authorities to pardon him setting an example for all those that he preached to He was buried at Saints Filippo and Giacomo Church His sepulchre at Licata quickly became a site of Pilgrimage Symbols and Representation: Carmelite with a knife in his head; Carmelite with a sword in his breast and three crowns; Carmelite with an angel bringing him three crowns; Carmelite with lilies and roses falling from his mouth The sisters left the orphanage in 1823 to live with their cousins Giovanni and Antonio Cittadini Caterina became a teacher at a girl‘s public school in Somasca in 1824 The sisters felt a call to the religious life; their spiritual director recommended that they should stay in Somasca and become the basis of a new congregation In 1826 the sisters rented a house in Somasca and in October opened a boarding school for girls and instituted the oratory style of education for her girls The sisters established another “Cittadini” private school in 1832 Giuditta directed these new school until her sudden death in 1840 followed quickly by her spiritual director from the orphanage The rapid succession of tragedy ruined Caterina’s health but was cured through the intercession of Saint Jerome Emilani Caterina quit her public teaching position in 1845 to manage the schools and guide the three companions who help her To help organize the work and lives of her companions she wrote the beginnings of a new rule similar to that of religious orders In 1850 she obtained permission to build a private oratory to keep the Blessed Sacrament at her boarding school In 1851 she applied for approval of her new religious family and told her to write the rules of the new order; her first attempt based on the Constitution of the Ursulines of Milano was rejected A second attempt was accepted on 17 September 1854 under the title Orsoline Gerolimiane (Ursuline Sisters of Somasca) the bishop of Bergamo gave his approval; the order achieved papal recognition on 8 July 1927 and to care for the abandoned; today they work in Italy The Herald-Tribune will get you ready for the coming high school football season Here are team previews for the Sarasota and Manatee teams competing in the Sunshine State Athletic Association in 2024 Out-of-Door Academy ThunderCOACH: Rob Hollway LAST YEAR: 6-5 (won SSAA Class 4A Championship) CLASS: Sunshine State Athletic Association 11-man South Region COACH HOLLWAY’S OUTLOOK: “As with any small school Especially now that SSAA schools are permitted to play a 10-game regular season (up from eight) they are equipped to make another run at a SSAA Championship The 2024 roster has multiple players with offers You can expect big years from All-SSAA selections You can also expect the Thunder to be more multiple and balanced with the addition of new pass-game coordinator Nate Strawderman and defensive coordinator Zach Hammond (both from Bradenton Christian School) Dylan Walker and Carson Fisher will get more targets which is historically different from the run-heavy offense over the past two seasons under offensive coordinator Jim Bougor.” 2024 team previews: Independents: IMG Academy and North Port 2024 high school football previews Stream Florida HS football games all season on NFHS Network LAST YEAR: 8-3 (lost in the final of the SSAA 5A Championship) CLASS: Sunshine State Athletic Association 11-man South COACH VALCARCEL’S OUTLOOK: “We have a lot of returning starters and had a great summer of strength and speed training The QB position is going to be a major factor We have a transfer in from Canada (6' 6" Jr Harry Jones) who will be competing with freshman Luke Zieglar and sophomore Jack White for the spot Greg Williford will be running the offense and looking to get away from being run heavy and becoming more balanced with a spread offense Looking for big things from returning starter Cam Brewer at the running back position led by Jeremy Stroh and Austin Varga on the D-line and brothers Jed and Tommy MacArthur at inside LB.” 13 at Central Florida Christian Academy; Sept LAST YEAR: 8-3 (lost in the first round of the SSAA Class AAA 8-man bracket) COACH SPENN’S OUTLOOK: “Sarasota Christian School will have a roster of 54 players in its first ever 11-man season We will continue to move the ball through the air and should be a lot of fun to watch on Friday nights We have experienced seniors for the first time in school history but will still be a young football team There is certainly a lot of uncertainty with new opponents and the play in the trenches will be key We have some good linemen but have only had to play with three so we need to increase our depth there We have great depth at the skill positions 41 of our 53 players are sophomores and below so how they develop will be key to our success.” 6 at Southwest Florida Christian Academy; Sept lost in the first round of the SSAA 8-man Class AA bracket CLASS: Sunshine State Athletic Association 8-man Central Division COACH FAVERO’S OUTLOOK: “After graduating nine seniors TCA is looking to a new group of young motivated leaders to continue to build the culture of grit and toughness left to them by the previous leadership core TCA will be a young team that looks to compete with every team on their schedule After turning over its largest senior class new leaders are forming and young men that have been waiting for their opportunity will have their moment to put their stamp on a third-year program The development of these young players will be the key to the season and focusing on creating a good on-field process will be the focus of the coaching staff to get the most out of the new starters.” Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School (SSAES) will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a gala on Saturday who presided over the school as principal for 35 years until her retirement over a year ago Boyamian led the school from its early days with a handful of students to a well-established educational institution SSAES alumni have gone on to a myriad of top colleges SSAES is accredited by the Association of Independent Schools in New England In addition to a challenging bilingual education students are exposed to a variety of cultural and social events culminating with the fifth-grade class trip to Armenia The trip previously included a visit to Artsakh “My 35 years at the helm of SSAES were the most fulfilling and rewarding of my life Serving the school was not a job — it was a mission It is with great satisfaction that I have watched our students develop their sense of identity active participation and leadership role in the Armenian community My wish is to see our community and the community-at-large cherish and protect this beacon of light and hope for many years to come,” Boyamian said executive vice president of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges Papazian has been a noted leader of public universities including serving as former president of San Jose State University as well as Southern Connecticut State University she was the provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Lehman College She is a scholar of renaissance and early modern literature Guest performer will be powerhouse vocalist Angelina Nazarian, who appeared on the NBC vocal competition program The Voice in 2023 and is currently a student at the Berklee School of Music Mistress of ceremonies will be Kristina Ayanian an SSAES alumna and a member of the Forbes 30 under 30 Class of ’24 Ayanian is the host of Nasdaq’s “Live from MarketSite,” a weekly listings and capital markets series where she interviews CEOs and business leaders to discuss company successes business trends and the latest innovations The celebration’s organizing committee is chaired by Nicole Babikian Hajjar the parent of three SSAES alumni and a longtime supporter of the school as it celebrates the school’s mission and honors retiring Principal Boyamian at the same time,” Hajjar said “SSAES is the only Armenian elementary school left in New England and Digin Houry has dedicated the past 35 years of her life to establishing and growing it I truly hope the community will join us in celebration and support on November 16.” in an interview with the Armenian Mirror-Spectator this summer expressed her feelings about SSAES: “The school has a lot to celebrate and having a moment like the gala gives us the opportunity to just look back and celebrate and then considering the 40th anniversary is coming at the same time Kids come to school excited every day and go home eager to tell their families what they have learned that day And there is nothing more rewarding than hearing that from our parents.” The gala on November 16 at the Cambridge Hyatt Regency will start with a cocktail reception at 6.30 p.m., followed by dinner and program at 7.30 p.m.  Tickets for the event are $250 ($150 for alumni and students) available at https://ssaes.square.site/product/tickets/2?cs=true&cst=custom The RSVP deadline is October 28, and various sponsorship opportunities are available Checks may be made payable to SSAES (please note “40th Anniversary” on the memo line) and mailed to 47 Nichols Ave. To advertise, send a business link and high-resolution logo to 40@ssaes.org Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Stephen’s Episcopal School Chapel Gift Expansion Stephen’s Episcopal School is pleased to announce a generous $500,000 gift from alumnus J.P ’58 toward the renovation and expansion of the school’s historic Chapel a vital gathering place since the school’s founding by the Most Rev its current capacity cannot accommodate the school’s enrollment of over 700 students As part of a $5 million renovation and expansion project ensuring all members of the community can gather in one space to worship will expand the Chapel by 3,800 square feet The project will also enhance accessibility with a new central entranceway Reflecting on his time as a five-year boarding student Bryan shared how the Chapel provided him with constancy and inspiration during his formative years “The cross above the altar spoke louder to me than anything any adult ever said about faith,” says Bryan His gift honors the Chapel’s enduring role as a sanctuary for young people as well as his confidence that the Chapel’s expansion will ensure it remains a meaningful and welcoming space for the next generation of Spartans Bryan’s gift is part of the school’s upcoming 75th anniversary celebration and comprehensive campaign The Episcopal Foundation of Texas has already pledged $1 million toward the Chapel expansion Stephen’s invites additional support to realize this vision for the school’s spiritual home Stephen’s Episcopal School is a co-ed boarding school for grades 8-12 Stephen’s is part of the Diocese of Texas welcoming all faiths and grounded in the Christian tradition and value the potential and dignity of every human being We challenge motivated students to live intelligently creatively and humanely as contributing members of society We develop the whole person by providing rigorous academic preparation We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience and analyse our traffic We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorised as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyse how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors Performance cookies are used to understand and analyse the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customised advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyse the effectiveness of the ad campaigns Phenom Hoops hosted our annual Team Camp in Rock Hill College coaches were in attendance from start to finish and several players made lasting impressions with their play One team that grabbed our attention was Saint Stephen’s as they offered some new names to watch down the road The three guards for Saint Stephen’s really earned our scouts’ attention and some that have plenty of room for growth and 2028 Rob Beasley all played at a high level and we had plenty to say about them at the event 2027 Javian White“2027 Javian White (St Stephens) has been off the charts this week and hitting shots from outside with a ton of confidence.” Stephens) has such good feel for the game and has a burner if you leave him open He’s shown he can create off the bounce for himself and others Has great vision and can pass from a variety of angles.” “2026 Noah VanBeurden (St Stephens) continues to show his shot-making ability and range Confident release and can light it up from deep.” 2028 Rob Beasley“2028 Rob Beasley (St Stephens) has been a steady piece early for this team here at the #PhenomTeamCamp “2028 Rob Beasley (Team Curry) played extremely well tonight Was able to attack downhill and finish at the rim knocked down three 3’s from the perimeter.” Stephen’s Catholic Church will celebrate its final Mass at 8:30 a.m Stephen’s Catholic Church will be celebrated at 8:30 a.m Bishop Michael Fisher of the Diocese of Buffalo announced in September that St Stephen’s would close as part of a restructuring of churches in the 8-county Diocese The Diocese is closing some churches due to a declining number of priests and attendance Stephen’s is part of ONE Catholic that includes churches in eastern Niagara and Orleans counties Mark’s in Kendall would close but a final Mass date hasn’t been announced for St Joseph’s in Lyndonville also is in ONE Catholic but that church was badly damaged in a fire on Feb Barker’s church also is in ONE catholic but that one will be aligned with a family of churches closer to Lockport ONE Catholic welcomes Catholics in the ONE Catholic family to attend the 8:30 a.m Stephen’s Rectory following the Mass Stephen’s will continue to provide music at St Mark’s in Kendall will host a breakfast at Holy Trinity in Medina to welcome the parishioners from St A proud member of LION Publishers – supporting local Maiden's Raheim Misher (30) goes up for a shot over a Bunker Hill defender at the Dick's Sporting Goods Classic tournament in December Four Maiden basketball players were among the seven from Catawba County to earn All-District 10 basketball honors from the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association this week Senior Raheim Misher tops the list with first-team honors Misher led the Blue Devils to a 22-6 record this season He averaged 17.2 points and 12.9 rebounds per game while shooting 64% from the field Misher also became the first player in school history to top 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds for his career Hickory’s Jordan Powell (2) drives to the basket against John Priestly of St Stephens (21) during a game at Hickory in January Hickory sophomore Jordan Powell earned a second-team nod for his performance this season Powell led the Red Tornadoes in points (15.8) rebounds (6.3) and assists (5.1) per game while shooting 53% from the field Powell also had a team-leading 36 steals on the season Stephens and Maiden’s Lincoln Frasure landed third-team honors VanBeurden was the top scorer in the county at 22.6 points per game Frasure was one of the county’s leading sharpshooters hitting 66-of-147 3-pointers and scoring 16.8 points per game Stephens’ Kennedy Blevins (12) attempts a shot while being guarded by Fred T Foard’s Macie Penland (30) on Feb Maiden teammates Khiara Culliver and Raegan Rembert Stephens were named to the All-District 10 girls team Culliver averaged a double-double (18.1 points 10.9 rebounds per game) for the 23-6 Blue Devils this season averaging 15.9 points and 3.8 assists per game while knocking down 34-of-104 3-pointers She led the Western Foothills Athletic Conference in scoring (20.8 PPG) and was fourth in steals (3.8 SPG) Juniors Jay’on Connor and Meredith Wike of Alexander Central and South Caldwell freshman Ava Anderson earned All-District 11 honors this season He led all 4A players in the state in scoring this season with 27.8 points per game He also averaged 10.2 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game Alexander Central's Meredith Wike (20) looks to get a shot off while being guarded by Newton-Conover's Mira Sigmon (40) during the Dick’s Sporting Goods Classic championship in December Anderson earned second-team honors among the girls 4 freshman in the state in scoring with 23.2 points per game She helped lead the Spartans to a 18-9 record this season She continued her standout career for the Cougars with 17.8 points and 9.9 rebounds per game this season Powell and VanBeurden were named to the boys WFAC all-conference team as well They were joined by Hayden Hillman (Hickory) Blevins was joined by Gabby Bryant (Hickory) North Lincoln won three of four conference awards Kellen Karr was named boys player of the year while boys coach Dennis Frye and girls coach Kristen Karr swept the coach of the year awards East Lincoln’s Emma Montanari was named girls player of the year Jason Koon is the Sports Editor for the Hickory Record and can be reached at jason.koon@lee.net Email notifications are only sent once a day “It’s close by home and it’s one of the nicest Division II schools in the nation,” he said Zion White and Lincoln Frasure will be joining their teammate Raheim Misher “I didn’t play basketball for the accolades,” Raheim Misher said “I played because it’s something I deeply care about and something that brin… “It never entered my mind until pretty much the way the season ended.” Scaffolding is built around the 200-foot spire at the Basilica of St Stephens Church on Napoleon Avenue in New Orleans on Thursday Hurricane Ida in 2021 caused severe damage to the structure Crews plan to rebuild a copper skin around it and It's 300 steps up the scaffolding to the top of the steeple for crews rebuilding the roof to the Basilica of St Scaffolding is installed about 200 feet in the air around the cross on top of the Basilica of St A giant crane delivers needed supplies about halfway up the scaffolding that surrounds the steeple at the Basilica of St 2024 as crews build the scaffolding around the 200-foot spire News Tips:nolanewstips@theadvocate.com Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInAutoplayMobile County Stephens head wrestling coach Billy Baker looks on during a match on Jan Stephens wrestling program packed the high school’s gymnasium on Jan 17 to celebrate the class of 2025 grapplers and the team’s longtime head coach Billy Baker Baker logged his 800th career dual/team win “It means a lot to me and it is great being able to see all of my alumni which we call our Saint wrestling family,” Baker said the milestone is an achievement for the entire program He said it wouldn’t have been possible without the contributions of his assistant coaches throughout the years He graduated in 2003 as a four-time state champion and that is where I want the attention to be assistant coach) and his wife have been with me for close to 30 years Jon Holloway (Arndt Middle School head coach and former wrestler at Saint under Baker) has been leading our middle school program and we have got Paul Lane back with us here at Saint.” Baker started his career at Lincolnton High School where he spent five seasons leading the Wolves Stephens program for the 1999-2000 school year he has picked up another 775 career dual/team wins Baker also has 16 dual/team conference championships 13 conference tournament individual champions five individual regional tournament champions and a 3A dual/team state championship in 2019 The Indians boasted a perfect 43-0 record that year Senior Will Fincher said Baker’s reputation for success made an impression when he arrived at Saint four years ago I soaked up everything he said when I got the chance,” said Fincher “Especially with him teaching us about grit teaching us how to do hard things and embrace that You do hard things in life and you do hard things on the mat … There is nothing else that I would rather do than wrestle for coach Billy Baker.” Baker retired from teaching and from his position as the school’s athletic director after the 2023-24 school year That meant he was not able to be on campus for six months He said retiring last year was the right decision for several reasons “I was getting a little tired along with teaching a full course load as well as coaching and being the AD,” he said and I really wanted to focus on my boys and the wrestling program.” Baker said retirement has also allowed him to spend more time with his family Baker highlighted hw this group of seniors was instrumental in helping the program bounce back from the pandemic Billy Baker celebrates his 800th win with his team on Jan They really helped us get our program back on track after COVID,” he said “Our numbers got cut in half and we lost a lot of kids so this group of seniors were freshmen when we got out of COVID and they really pulled the team together.” the Indians handled conference opponent Statesville 66-18 in the first match and took down West Iredell 72-11 in the second The wins brought their overall record 30-3 Atticus Lail and Avery Rhymer all went 2-0 on the night for St leading the Spartans to the first conference championship since 2007 The program produced 31 individual state qualifiers 21 state placers and four individual state champions under Adam's tenure Stephens (top) works against South Iredell’s Dru Kerley at the Roy Hoffman Indian Classic at St Stephens High School wrestling team collected another Roy Hoffman Indian Classic trophy on Saturday with 238.5 team points in the tournament and six first-place finishers The Indians beat second-place West Rowan handily Stephens has hosted this well-known tournament every year for more than five decades The tournament was renamed last year after Roy Hoffman Stephens wrestling coach Billy Baker holds the trophy after the Indians won first place at the 52nd annual Indian Classic on Saturday At last year’s tournament West Rowan barely beat by the Indians (195.5 to 188) four third-place finishers and two fourth-place finishers The Indians were led by Tommy Kishpaugh at 106 pounds Diego Ayala at 285 and Avery Rhymer at 215 who each won their first Indian Classic trophies Will Fincher at 165 and Micah Geoghegan at 175 picked up the second Indian Classic trophies in their careers Stephens followed up the win with a 36-31 victory over Newton-Conover on Wednesday Geoghegan and Rhymer all won their matches for St Stephens (left) looks for an opening against Carlos Hernandez-Chicas of Mooresville at the 52nd Annual Roy Hoffman Indian Classic at St Elysijah Moore (190) and Lincoln Hardy (285) logged wins for the Red Devils Four Bunker Hill High School wrestlers placed in the Big Dawg tournament on Dec Ethan McManus got a second-place finish at 157 pounds Jarrod Dials (285) and Jax Page (138) finished third and Chris Crenshaw (113) took fourth In a five-team match on Tuesday the Bears took one of four matches Bunker Hill beat The North Carolina Leadership Academy 42-39 and dropped matches to East Surry (53-29) East Wilkes (63-18) and North Wilkes (69-12) Ethan McManus won all four of his matches on the night Hickory High School wrestling got two more wins at a tri-match in Bessemer City on Wednesday to improve to 9-6 The Red Tornadoes won 53-21 over Bessemer City and 69-6 over the North Carolina School for the Deaf Hickory is being led by seniors Sebastian Richards (14-1) and Karter Floyd (13-2) this season Foard High School wrestling got three more wins at a quad match at West Lincoln on Tuesday Matthew Whalen (190) and Aiden Alesi (285) each won all three matches on the night South Caldwell High School wrestling picked up two more wins at a tri-match on Tuesday to improve to 18-3 on the season The Spartans beat Christ School 83-0 and Mitchell 55-21 The Spartans put three freshmen and six sophomores on the mat in Tuesday’s win over Mitchell and went with four freshmen and five sophomores to beat Christ School The Alexander Central High School Cougars improved to 6-10 with two wins at a home tri-match on Tuesday beat Statesville 45-35 and Lexington 66-18 Jackson Shoe is a sports correspondent for the Hickory Daily Record works against Cody Campbell of North Iredell in a file photo from February 2023 Catawba County has become a high school wrestling hotbed Stephens will be bringing back a veteran squad that finished fifth in North Carolina’s 3A division last year Foard and Newton-Conover will also look to be significant factors in the state playoff picture this coming February Stephens has been a consistent powerhouse in the 3A N.C This season the Indians are looking to continue their dominance The team is led by head coach Billy Baker who is entering his 25th year at the helm The team also has five wrestlers returning who went to last season’s state tournament in Greensboro (Will Fincher The Indians finished fifth as a team in the 3A division finished as state runners-up at their respective weight classes The Indians will be a team to watch again this year at the state tournament Saint is also bringing back several more returning starters who have made significant gains in the offseason Koen Killian and Carson Powell could all be factors in the 3A state tournament this season works against Gage Helms of North Lincoln in a match on Nov Saint was eliminated in the first round by Dudley They should be able to bounce back from that disappointment as the Indians were an exceptionally young team in 2023-24 Baker’s squad last year trotted out just one senior and two juniors The rest of the starters were freshmen and sophomores Saint also has a pair of new freshman faces that Baker expects to make an impact this season The Red Devils are led by second-year head coach Justin Shuffler He thinks they are ready to make some noise in their extremely competitive conference “Of course I want to win our conference,” he said “This is the last year we could all possibly be together after the new realignment or the toughest conferences in the entire state … “But we don’t really talk about winning certain matches or championships Wins and losses will take care of themselves.” The Red Devils missed last year’s dual-team playoffs but made some noise at the 2A state tournament in Greensboro Senior Isiah Pittman won his first title in his final match as a Red Devil while junior Boedi Kirkland won his first 2A title as well He will be become the first Newton-Conover wrestler since Owen Clark to win back-to-back championships Zack Evans of Bandys works against Lincoln Hardy of Newton-Conover in a dual meet in a file photo from January 2024 Phoenix Michaud is another returning state qualifier for the Red Devils He hopes to improve on his third-place finish last season Other crucial returning starters for Shuffler’s squad include seniors Kirkland Underclassmen returners Lincoln Hardy and Eli Moore should be significant factors for Newton-Conover Shuffler also has a trio of freshmen who will be battling for the 106-pound spot — Bentley Jiminez Bandys is led by fifth-year head coach Justin Adams Adams has led the Trojans to individual team state championships in 2022 and 2023 and a dual-team title in 2022 He has also coached four individual champions in that time (Ian and Caleb Moore Bandys looks to bounce back from an early exit last season The Trojans were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs to conference rival Lincolnton They also graduated two important state placers from that team — Matthew Cranfill and Ian Moore Adams has a promising group of veterans and young grapplers to help Bandys get back to the top of the 2A mountain region this season Avery Miller and Chauncy Reese will be returning starters this season while Rylan Heers Keilan Adams and Chayce Jones should make some noise in their first season starting for the Trojans Bandys is in an ultra-competitive conference which includes former state champs Newton-Conover and West Lincoln along with a resurging Lincolnton team Bandys has a history of dominance dating back the the early 2000s The Trojans are more than capable of continuing that tradition with a their mix of accomplished returners and talented newcomers “With these guys … we should be pretty sneaky,” said Adams “We’ve graduated a lot of veterans but we have kids that have worked very hard in the offseason and stepped up in the room to fill the void.” The Tigers are led by second-year head coach Byron Sigmon Foard has another good-looking lineup he hopes will propel them back to the of the region George Coleman celebrates after taking first place at 120 pounds in the Foard Tough Tournament in a file photo from December 2023 The group could also add to the program’s impressive collection of hardware which includes nine state championships since 2009 Foard graduated one of their most prolific wrestlers in program history last year Brayden Mejia was a three-time state champion but they do have former state runner-up George Coleman returning for his senior year The Tigers will also lean on former state-placer Austin Laws The Tigers will look to bounce back from a tough loss in the first round of last year’s dual-team playoffs to Ashe County Coach Sigmon knows what it takes to win in Catawba County He was a three-time state champion himself during his tenure at Bandys from 2003-2006 The Blue Devils will be led by 19-year head coach Sean McGovern he landed his first individual state champion in 285 pounder DJ Spring he has another impressive heavyweight in junior Trey Keller Keller qualified for the state tournament for the first time last season He should have another impressive season for the Blue Devils in 2024 McGovern also has a long list of other returning starters He will mix those with a group of talented new starters — Travis Goode Michael McCall and Brody Huffman as well as a trio of returning sophomores who will be starting this season — James Tucker Maiden is in one of the toughest conferences in the state with West Lincoln but McGovern thinks his team could make some noise with his mix of veterans and fresh faces in the lineup “The sky’s the limit if our guys commit to scoring and keep scoring,” he said Bunker Hill returns three starters who qualified for last year’s tournament Zeke Yang and Jacob Fox scored a combined zero points at last year’s tournament they will all be back with another year of experience and could be a threat to make a run this season (WSET) — A church in Forest dug up a piece of the past on Saturday A 69-year-old time capsule was opened at Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church; it was placed in a church wall in 1955 Inside were treasures from the past such as old prayer books and member logs Reverend Matt Rhodes said this was a highly anticipated moment “The biggest thing was the condition of the material When you pull out a time capsule you always wonder what condition everything inside is going to be in and so it was nice to see first of all that everything was reasonably untouched I think the biggest surprise to me was the complete list of donors," Rev This time capsule was designed by Jeremie Cariaga Inside this new capsule are things like currency prayer shawls history documents of the church and a prayer booklet This was also the 200-year celebration for the church "The fact that we reached 200 is miraculous to a lot of folks because between 1911 and 1941 there was no clergy and the church was closed there was a question of if the church would ever reopen again The fact that we came to 200 is a miracle in itself," Rev it can be discovered on September 21 and 22 Saint-Stéphane Cathedral hosted the wedding ofÉdith Piaf and Théo Sarapo in 1962 as well as the funeral of singer Maria Callas in 1977 Saint-Stéphane also marks an essential architectural milestone in the appropriation and adaptation ofByzantine art by French architects and decorators in the second half of the 19th century For the Journées du Patrimoine 2024 the cathedral is opening its doors free of charge to the curious To find out more about this cultural event take a look at the program organized by Saint-Stephane Greek Cathedral le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles Refer your establishment, click herePromote your event, click here (WPMI) — UPDATE: Mobile a police released the following info Saturday morning: officers responded to the 2300 block of St Stephens Road (Baggz on Da Fade) in reference to a shooting officers discovered a male victim inside of the business with a gunshot wound The victim was then transported to a local hospital officers identified the subject who was still on scene The subject may have acted in self defense when he shot the victim The victim has been identified as Alfred Hector who later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital A shooting Friday evening on Mobile north side is now being investigated as mobile's 20th homicide of the year Stephens road in the Toulminville neighborhood Mobile police say they have detained a "person of interest" in the shooting which investigators say happened inside the shop A person who works in a nearby business tells me she heard two shots and then saw people running out of the shop and we don't yet know the motive for the shooting We Catalans eat a big meal on Christmas Day, with some delicious food followed by neules, torrons, Christmas carols and poems. And the following day, St Stephen’s Day, we do it again. But why is St Stephen’s Day (Boxing Day) such a firmly rooted custom here when it isn’t celebrated in the rest of Spain? The booklet ‘Celebrem el Nadal’ (Let’s celebrate Christmas) has the answer to this puzzle and a good many more besides because the idea behind it was to explain the reason for lots of Christmas customs and traditions Carbó says that St Stephen’s Day is a unique feature of the Catalan calendar linked to our Carolingian past In the 9th century Old Catalonia belonged to the empire founded by Charlemagne and came under the Bishop of Narbonne in contrast to the rest of the Christian Iberian peninsula dominated by the Goths and under the Bishop of Toledo That meant they had very different concepts of the family so when there was an important festival they had to travel to the family home the biggest date on the religious calendar brought the whole family together round the family hearth And since journeys were usually long in the Middle Ages the darkness intense and the means of transport precarious people needed time to return home the next day St Stephen’s Day was a day when people didn’t work which is not exactly the same as having a celebration This is well explained by the proverb: Per Nadal cada ovella al seu corral / per Sant Esteve cadascú a casa seva – sheep in their pen on Christmas Day not only do we have the reason why we celebrate St Stephen’s Day it also explains why Catalans celebrate Easter and Pentecost (Whit Sunday) the three most important festivals on the religious calendar this custom links us with the rest of Europe because it has survived in other places that came under Carolingian influence and which have ended up becoming the main states in Europe BRADENTON – The Saint Stephen’s Episcopal girls lacrosse team had two takeaways from last year’s first trip to the Final Four: The opposition had more speed and played more aggressively After winning its second straight regional championship Saint Stephen’s coach Patrick Cassella thinks his team is better prepared for the challenge High School Roundup: Saint Stephen's girls lacrosse team wins back-to-back Class A-Region title “We worked on speed and getting faster and playing more aggressive on offense and on defense,” Cassella said the Falcons (18-1) will play nationally ranked Lake Highland Prep in the Class 1A state semifinal at noon Friday at Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Naples Saint Stephen’s entered the Final Four undefeated in 17 games but as the fourth seed going up against top seed American Heritage The two-time state champions out of Delray Beach rolled out to a 15-2 lead en route to a 22-5 decision over the Falcons. It’s a little bit more aggressive,” said Cassella an assistant coach on last year’s Saint Stephen’s squad who took over the head spot “And the speed is faster and the talent is much better than we’ve played before “We knew this year if we got back we had to get used to the speed that was a big learning experience for a team that has never been that far before.” For a Falcons’ team that had a majority of lopsided victories this season a 10-9 nailbiter over Community School of Naples in the regional final Friday in Bradenton was just what Saint Stephen’s needed “Community School of Naples had the most speed we have played against all year That was the best test we could have going into states I was so happy the girls responded and how they did against the aggressive play and how they matched their speed.” Suffering their only loss in double overtime to Manatee High on March 7 the Falcons (18-1) will have their hands full with the Highlanders who won the 2019 state champions and are last year’s Class 1A runners-up ranked second in the country and second in the state by MaxPreps features 13 players who have scored double figures in goals led by senior Sophia Grace Mazariegos’ 44 goals Saint Stephen’s will spend this week plotting to defend the Highlanders’ diverse attack “We’re going to put in some defensive schemes,” Cassella said “They’re a powerhouse Community School of Naples is just as talented It’s going to be a really tough test for us.” While rebuilding a defense that lost three players to graduation last year Saint Stephen’s has a weapon in junior goalie Annesley Flint who allows an average of five goals per game “She’s been amazing,” Cassella said of Flint “From last year to this year she has been one of our best performers on our team That is huge going into states having a goalie like we have Many of the goals Flint permitted during last year’s State Semifinal were not her fault you have nervousness and jitters,” Cassella said The Falcons’ process of preparation not only was physical “This year we understand the talent is a lot better Saint Stephen’s has some firepower of its own in senior Sienna Cassella Patrick’s daughter who is heading to Rutgers University to continue her education and lacrosse career Sienna tallied 93 goals along with 41 assists this season Right behind is junior Haley Rosa with 91 goals and 33 assists and Ashling Marshall with 70 goals and 49 assists Marshall was named USA Lacrosse All-American for the second time Cassella has been named USA Lacrosse All-American three times and the winner of the USA Lacrosse Jackie Pitts Award to high school seniors who go above and beyond in service to their team “Look how great Haley has played,” Coach Cassella said But the players who have made a difference for the Falcons were the ones who did not receive much Senior Kiera Milburn has made some big contributions on defense senior Isabella Sanchez has added to the Saint Stephen’s attack Eighth-grader Ava Varga has contributed 32 goals In her second year of lacrosse junior Ava Rogers emerged as a starter on defense Coach Cassella even recruited a few players from the Falcons’ soccer team on defense: junior Ava Foy and freshman Alexa Pymm “A lot of the role players we didn’t have last year who just came on and have been unbelievable for us,” Coach Cassella said Compiling a 35-2 record during the past two seasons and advancing to the Final 4 for the second straight year after starting as a club lacrosse team in 2009 and becoming a varsity sport in 2013 Coach Cassella looks at the overall body of work by the program I don’t think people understand how difficult that is,” he said The Saint Stephen’s-Lake Highland Prep winner will play the winner of the game between top-seeded 20-1 defending state champion American Heritage and fourth-seeded 13-7 Episcopal School of Jacksonville The Class 1A State Championship game is noon on Saturday at Paradise Coast Sports Complex.