St Paul's Feast Day
Feast Day this year, held in conjunction with the Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, was celebrated with a whole school Mass in the Manor House gardens. We were honoured to have three priests; Father Mike from St Lawrence's, Governor Priest - Father Philip, Father Christian from our Sunbury parish as well as Deacon Duncan Macpherson from St Theodore's in Hampton, all to celebrate this most special of Masses.
At the heart of the Feast Day Mass was a profound celebration of our school community. Throughout the celebration of the two Feast Days, we were reminded that our Saints always lead us to Christ, and that through His Most Sacred Heart, both our lives and our community may be transformed.
We took great pride in witnessing our pupils participate meaningfully in the Mass as altar servers, readers, and in presenting the offerings. Their commissioning for roles in the upcoming academic year was also a highlight of the celebration.
We extend our thanks to all who contributed to the celebration: the Modern Foreign Languages Department for preparing the bidding prayers in the languages of our school community; our choir, whose voices provided beautiful musical accompaniment; the Science and Mathematics Departments for their participation in the offertory procession; and our Head of Religious Education, Miss Delahunty, who opened the Mass with a thoughtful reflection on our patron, St Paul.
In preparation for the Feast Day Mass, pupils undertook a remarkable act of service by donating items to support the local charity, Baby Basics, which assists mothers in need and their newborns. Students also prepared spiritually through a reflective activity on gratitude, led by our Mental Wellbeing Lead, Mrs Huyart, during which they considered the many blessings they experience as members of the St Paul's Catholic community.
The day was marked by a joyful and reverent atmosphere. Our Feast Day remains a treasured occasion that unites our school in faith and celebration.
After the formalities of the Mass, we were delighted to invite Olly Owen's mother to the stage to handover a cheque of £20,000 to Emily Ford from Sarcoma UK, which was the result of St Paul's fundraising efforts over the Lenten period in honour of Olly, a former student at the school who passed away recently.
