By Michael Gresham
The Texas Catholic
Over the years, St. Mark Catholic School’s annual Christmas pageant has become a cherished tradition for its community, celebrating the birth of Christ through music, performance, and faith.
“The Christmas pageant celebrates the beauty of the season with the voices and performances of the children,” said Donna Ostermann, a fifth-grade teacher at St. Mark who helps organize the event each year. “The earnest performances and the joy reflected in the faces of the children bring the season alive for those who watch it.”
For nearly two decades, Ostermann has worked alongside Father Cliff Smith, a retired priest and former pastor of St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Plano, to produce the pageant.
“I’ve worked with Father Cliff since the beginning 18 years ago,” Ostermann said. “Prior to that, the program took various other forms — concerts, short plays. When Father Cliff came to St. Mark, he transformed it into what it is today.”
According to Ostermann, St. Mark’s fifth-grade team works closely with Father Smith on staging and costuming for the pageant, having four to five practices before the dress rehearsal and then the actual performance.
This year, a dress rehearsal was held Dec. 17 with the performance on Dec. 18.
The pageant features students from preschool through fifth grade, each performing a song. Preschoolers sing “O Come, Little Children,” while kindergarteners offer “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” First graders perform “Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow.” Students in second grade sing “Away in a Manger,” while third graders sing “Go, Tell It on the Mountain.” Fourth graders perform “Silent Night.” Fifth graders lead several hymns, including “O Holy Night” and “Joy to the World.”
“Students in the lower grades look forward to fifth grade when they can be the actors in our school Nativity pageant tradition,” Ostermann added.
Students learn lyrics in music class and rehearse weekly with music teacher Patti Corsi. Once casting is complete, rehearsals progress in phases, starting with placement and movement, then props, and finally costumes.
“By doing the rehearsal in phases, students become familiar with their roles without the distraction of the costumes,” Ostermann explained.
Costumes are a hallmark of the production thanks to Father Smith’s vision, Ostermann said.
“When he came to St. Mark as pastor 19 years ago, after viewing our production, he said that he would help with it the following year,” she said. “I never imagined the beautiful costumes he would create over the summer and throughout the school year. He began with the Holy Family, angels, and soldiers, and soon expanded into shepherds and townspeople.”
Today, Ostermann said, the production includes costumes for the entire fifth grade.
“The costumes are a thing of beauty reflecting as closely as possible to the actual clothing of the region during that time period,” she said. “This helps to bring to life the Nativity for the students and embrace their roles.”
According to Ostermann, the annual Christmas pageant serves as more than a festive tradition; it also reflects the school’s mission to live its faith in everyday life.
“At St. Mark, we strive to put faith into action every day,” she said. “The pageant gives us the opportunity to celebrate the birth of Christ in a meaningful way, not only for the students but for those viewing the celebration of Christ’s birth.”
Cutline for featured image: A St. Mark Catholic School fifth grader dressed as an angel performs during a dress rehearsal for the school’s annual Christmas pageant on Dec. 17 at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Plano. (MICHAEL GRESHAM/The Texas Catholic)
