Basil Bowl Activities Continue this November

The month of November has teemed not only with study and learning, but also with lots of Basil Bowl fun and camaraderie in our three North American high schools.

For the first time, the St. Thomas Eagles basketball team flew north to play the St. Michael’s College School Blue Raiders in St. Mike’s annual Tip-Off Classic, November 3-5. Almost immediately after this competition, the Blue Raiders flew south for the third consecutive year to play in the annual St. Thomas Invitational Basketball Tournament, November 10-12. Both teams have now entertained and energized each other’s school assemblies with their brother versus brother match ups. Furthermore, these basketball programs have been billeting their visiting brothers, thereby forging friendships between families in Toronto and Houston who have hosted each other’s sons for the last three years.

Each year, the Gift of Glamour, St. Michael’s College School’s fashion show fundraiser, brings friends together to enjoy each other’s company and taste in fine fashion. A glittering group of ladies from Catholic Central’s Mothers’ Club graced the fashion show on November 17 and continued an already established exchange of attending each other’s fashion shows from last year. If their sons are discovering and celebrating their brotherhood, why shouldn’t mothers also toast their sisterhood?

Never to be outplayed by any other human pursuit, the ‘beautiful game’ rejoiced in its fraternal rivalry November 21-22, when soccer Eagles flew north in their determination to bring snow and cold weather from Texas to their Azzurri brothers in an otherwise unseasonably and unreasonably balmy Toronto. It was a fair exchange for the perfectly warm sunshine that the Azzurri had taken down to the Eagles last November.

In all these blessed encounters when brothers (and some sisters) from our high schools meet in each other’s schools, compete in friendly athletics, celebrate the Eucharist, and share meals in common, they are continuing to learn from one another as they experience each other’s cultures, histories, and traditions. Through the Basil Bowl program, the bonds of Basilian high school brotherhood are reaching deeper and deeper into the unity of our goodness, discipline, and knowledge.