St Rose School Buries Time Capsule For Jubilee Year

By Tanjua Damon

“Good-bye Rosie.”

“Good-bye Rosie Bear.”

St Rose students spoke these words November 22, as they gathered in front of the school to see their time capsule buried, not to be opened until November 22, 2100 when Rosie Bear will be resurrected from the time capsule by another group of students during the 22nd century.

The time capsule was created to celebrate the Jubilee Year. It is meant to restore equality and unity with all people, and restore social justice, according to St Rose Principal Donna DeLuca.

“Boys and girls, God meant us this year to proclaim the Lord’s favor, not only in our words but also in our actions,” she said. “This special year we are to make peace or reconciliation with our enemies, to give of ourselves to the poor and needy, to unite ourselves with our brothers and sisters everywhere in the world in order to recommit ourselves to doing God’s will on earth.”

The time capsule contains items that represent the school and its students. There are 22 items inside the capsule including: a Cross with the risen Christ on it along with a Bible; the American Flag; St Rose School Family Handbook 2000-2001; St Rose School Yearbook 2000; St Rose School Photo Memory Album; St Rose School Millennium Motto Book; St Rose School pewter Christmas ornament; an official uniformed Rosie Bear; the traveling Rose Bear with her log and memorabilia from her trip around the world as a US Air Force transport; a large American Eagle trophy received by the US Air Force and given to St Rose School for this time capsule; 21st century computer technology information guide and CD; a book of third grade predictions for 2001; second grade story of the first Thanksgiving; international newspapers from Rosie Bear’s travels along with a photo album of her travels; the 11/10/00 Newtown Bee; a Danbury News Times dated 11/8/00 announcing “Bush Barely”; two election posters from Mr Peterson’s social studies class; 2000 World Series Championship newspaper clippings and Yankee plates 2000; Millennium Quarter of Connecticut; Cahill Business Card; a medical kit from the school nurse containing supplies the children use daily along with an invention that might not be used in 100 years – the safety pin; and a letter from the principal, Mrs DeLuca, to the students and principal of the future.

“As unity is a gift of the Holy Spirit, we gather unified today. We will bury a time capsule that immortalizes us, lets us journey into the future, with the idea that those who read what we have written, our letters, and family mottoes, and mementos, will know us and understand us and relate to us as a Catholic, Christian community,” Mrs DeLuca said. “We want to tell a story of our lives today. I could guess that things will look a lot different 100 years from now when the capsule is unearthed. I hope, however, that the St Rose students of the year 2100 are as focused on living God’s will as we are.”

The spot where the time capsule is buried in front of St Rose School will have a millennium stone from the original St Rose Church cornerstone laid in 1882. It will be inscribed with “A time capsule was buried at this spot on November 22nd in the year 2000, to be unearthed by those who will gather here on November 22, 2100.”

Before the capsule was put into the earth that will hold it for 100 years, Father Bob Weiss also added flowers and rosary that the capsule will rest on until the next century.