Each year, the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter is celebrated by Everest students. Second graders have a particular role in this celebration. This feast refers to the “Chair” of St Peter because in ancient times teachers sat down while teaching. The chair refers to St. Peter’s authority to teach and govern the Church in the name of Christ. This God-given authority has been passed down through the centuries all the way from St. Peter to Pope Francis.
Second graders learn more about how a pope is elected through a conclave. The classes hold a mock conclave, praying and reflecting on which of their classmates is a good example of living virtue. They then vote for the boy in the class that they think should be pope. The students elected have the honor of being the “pope” and Swiss Guards on the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. The class then burns the papers on which they voted just as the cardinals of the Catholic Church do at the Vatican.
