All the way back in 1610, Jeanne de Lestonnac, the foundress of the Company of Mary Our Lady, chose the feast of the Presentation of the Child Mary in the Temple, 21 November, as the feast day for the Order’s first school. Ever since, 21 November has been celebrated as the ‘children’s feast day’ in Company of Mary Our Lady Schools around the world.
The feast day was marked with a special Mass for the whole school. The Mass was memorable for the fact that all pupils and students from Reception to Year 13 were together in the Sports Hall, and for the beautiful music which was the combined work of Prep, Senior and Staff musicians and choirs. We maintained the tradition of more than 400 years in carrying forwards a statue of the child Mary in procession, followed by candles representing each of the year groups in the school. We presented tokens of our work, and of the charitable endeavours of the school.
Another reason our feast day Mass was particularly memorable is that in total more than 100 different pupils and students were involved in one ministry or another. Between them Prep pupils and Senior students prepared the altar before Mass, sang, played instruments, altar served, read, welcomed, processed, offered gifts and then tidied away afterwards. St Jeanne referred to the feast as the ‘children’s feast day’. How delighted she surely would be to see the pupils and the students ministering to others and taking the lead in so many different aspects of the feast day celebration.
Happy Feast Day!
