SABA--A special mass celebrated by Father Dan for Sacred Heart teachers and pupils closed Catholic School Week at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in The Bottom Tuesday morning.
Attending were all Sacred Heart pupils and teachers, members of the School Board, Commissioner Chris Johnson and Island Council members Akilah Levenstone and Rolando Wilson.
Catholic School Week focused on strengthening the Catholic identity. Sacred Heart School Board President Lynn Johnson said the idea for the Week came from the semi-annual meeting of the school boards of all Catholic schools in the Diocese at its headquarters. During the recent 50-year celebration projects, the Diocese had determined that the Catholic schools were in an identity crisis and this programme was developed to correct this.
Each Sacred Heart grade had a specific focus. For example, First Grade pupils looked at behaviours as a means to measuring if they were good Catholics, meaning no fighting, smoking, or watching violent movies. Other students were asked to find out who had baptised them and their parents.
The project resulted in a folding screen with names of the priests who had served on Saba, their dates of service, and which children had been baptised by them. Grade Four interviewed Sister Alice of the Living Water Community, while sixth graders spoke to Father Jansen to learn about their lives of consecration to the Lord.
Tuesday was chosen for the mass because it is the feast day of the Presentation of Our Lord Jesus in the Temple. The significance of this day is that it is the day on which persons who have consecrated their lives to the service of God celebrate their vow of service. In fact, said Sister Jennie of the Living Water Community, this consecration begins with baptism.
As the service closed, Sacred Heart teachers were called to the altar to receive a lighted candle from Sister Jennie and Sister Alice in remembrance of the theme of the week, “Let Your Light Shine Before Men.”
