On Monday, December 8th, we celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception with a banquet. Family, benefactors, friends, and faculty gathered to honor the Queen of Heaven, and the patroness of the United States.

The evening began with roses being distributed to all the guests, who processed to the banquet hall singing a hymn to Our Lady, where they stopped to lay each rose before her image.

The Sophomore class served a four-course meal, and the evening was filled with poetry, song, laughter, conversation, and even a fireworks show presented by Mr. Roach!

A highlight was the student’s singing the Polorum Regina – a medieval pilgrim song to Our Lady.

Our queen encompassing all of heaven, morning star, take away our sins.
Before birth, Virgin, pregnant by God, you remained always inviolate.
And in labour, Virgin, fertile by God, you remained always inviolate.
And after birth, Virgin, child-bearing mother you remained always inviolate.

These simple, yet beautiful lyrics, were often sung as a round, and accompanied by dancing – sometimes even in the church, as indicated in the Llibre Vermell of Montserrat, where this song was found.

“Because sometimes pilgrims keeping vigil in the church of the Blessed Virgin of Montserrat want to sing and dance – and similarly on the square during daytime – and since it is not appropiate to sing there anything else than honourable and pious songs, above and below some have been written. They should be used neatly and frugally in order not to disturb those who persevere in prayers and pious contemplations, things all people who keep vigil should concentrate on and piously apply themselves to.“