On Friday 31st January our sixth form students came together to celebrate the Feast of St Thomas Aquinas. The school was delighted to welcome back one of its former students. Theresa Alessandro is a committed peace activist and the director of Pax Christi an international Catholic organisation for justice and peace.
Celebrations began with a ‘bring and share’ cake stall within the sixth form common room. Students then assembled together for a beautiful celebration of Mass in the auditorium. Theresa had pre-selected readings to be included in the liturgy before speaking emphatically about her own experiences and the important work that Pax Christi do promoting non-violence and campaigning for an end to nuclear weapons.
The sixth form dispersed into small groups ‘breaking out’ of the auditorium to engage in deep discussion and respond to the challenges put to them by Theresa. The students then returned to the auditorium for the next part of the liturgy bringing back with them their own prayers and reflections. The ambiance of this wonderful occasion was further enhanced by the beautiful music specially prepared and led by members of year 12 and 13.
Later in the day Theresa assisted Mrs O’Hagan in presenting a number of awards to our students in recognition of the many achievements and contributions they have made to the school. Theresa completed the day with a special seminar for the year 12 Theology class.
The day was a great success and was clearly enjoyed by all. We would like to express our gratitude to Theresa for giving so generously of her time and sharing this day with us. We look forward to welcoming her back again in the Easter Term.
