I had the privilege today to attend the Opening School Mass at Notre Dame. They delay in celebrating this Mass because of the preparation and effort they go to, to make it a highlight of the school year.
The precision that went into the marching and presenting of the house banners was a pleasure to watch.
This year they had more chairs on the floor and less students in the stands.
The choir which must have consisted of 80+ students and the school orchestra and the main singers were superb. They certainly put in hours of rehearsals to present such a high-quality production.
Also the talent and giftedness of many of the students was very obvious.
I was also delighted that three girls from our parish sang the Responsorial Psalm. They were Fiona Cowan, Maeve Kerrins and Stephanie Hicks. I will await the occasion when they sing for us at a parish Mass?
Fr Joe Taylor had the arduous task of giving the homily to nearly 2,000 people. It is not so much the number but what do you say to appeal to teenagers with something on faith and God that will resonate with them in their lives.
The College theme for this year is – Grow in Courage, Wisdom and Faith. So Fr Joe spoke about Wisdom and how important it is in our lives. He spoke of wisdom in ourselves, parents, teachers and God.
At the end of Mass we had the presentation of badges to school leaders and house leaders.
No one could not be uplifted by the occasion giving an exciting beginning to the school year.
Fr Michael Morley
Parish Priest
