Catholic Schools Week 2019 began on Sunday January 27th. The theme this year is, “Catholic Schools: Celebrate the Work of Our Own Catholic School”. Fifty schools in the Dublin diocese will participate in a Laudate evening of song and prayer in three different Churches in Dublin. Here, with their families they will sing and pray old and new hymns of our tradition. It is time to remember all the good in our Catholic schools and to show appreciation to parents and staff for the nourishment they give in passing on God’s message of love. During the week we celebrate also the Feasts of Thomas Aquinas, John Bosco and Brigid. What wonderful examples they are of looking up to in our spread of the good of all God’s creation and our need to care for all.  Sr Máire Kealy’s book, “Dominican Education in Ireland 1820-1930”, reminds us of our charism of education when she quotes the late Sr Bede Kearns who defined beautifully Dominican education as follows;
“There is nothing exclusive about the Dominican idea of education any more than there is about the Dominican apostolate of evangelising by preaching. But there is a unique charism inspiring both: a way of education and preaching which springs from the Dominican vision and way of life, the Dominican regard for the person made in the image of God, and for all God’s creation”.

I love telling the story of St Brigid’s cloak to children in the primary school and watching them sing, dance, draw and paint as they retell that story through song and image. The song, colour, possibility and joy in watching the imagination spread across countless boundaries gives so much hope and that gives life and all the love needed to live it. A blessed Catholic Schools Week to all our primary schools, may we cherish and nourish all that is good in our tradition.

Sr Edel Murphy OP