Mass marking the 50^th anniversary of Boards of Management in the Catholic Primary Schools in the Diocese of Limerick

St. John’s Cathedral, December 1^st, 2025

Speaking Notes of Bishop Brendan Leahy

The season of Advent is a time to remember the coming of God, not just that of two thousand years ago, or that of the end of time, but also God’s drawing close to us day by day. The Church’s mission can be described as an Advent mission. The Church is to be the instrument of God’s coming among humanity to bring life and wisdom, meaning and hope to many. Within the Church’s broader mission, education is a key mission to help people, especially young people, know they are not alone in this world, their lives have meaning and that each person is unique with a unique contribution to make, that the God who is always coming into our world has a loving plan for each one. We think of the words of Pope Benedict: “No one is a product of chance. Each person is the result of a specific thought of God, is willed, and is loved.” That vision is to be a hallmark of education in Catholic schools.

We think also of the words of the new doctor of the Church, John Henry Newman who spent some time living in this Diocese. He was a great educationalist who wrote: “God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission—I never may know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next”. It is this conviction of the unique dignity of each child, teacher and staff member that education in Catholic schools strives to foster and to communicate to its students, staff and the wider school community. It is a conviction based not least on the belief that Jesus is always with us, as Pope Francis put it, “living at your side every day to enlighten, strengthen and free you”. That is what the Centurion in this evening’s Gospel discovered.

We know the African proverb, that it takes a village to raise a child. A school is a form of community that provides the caring environment for a child’s development. The Second Vatican Council, whose conclusion sixty years ago we celebrate this coming week, underlined the community aspect of a school. It is no surprise that just a few years after the Council, in October 1975, Boards of Management were established in Irish Catholic primary schools, marking a shift in the management of schools, moving from an exclusively clerical model to a more inclusive structure involving parents and teachers. This was no small step. It involved intricate and delicate conversations and negotiations on many levels both ecclesial and civil. It was a big change and involved a lot of work setting it all up. But it was a prophetic sign of the renewed recognition of the role of lay people in living out their mission as disciples of Christ, priest, prophet and shepherd.

I recall that change very well. My parents were schoolteachers, and I recall the sense of newness. Initially, perhaps clergy and teachers were a little hesitant and wondered how things might turn out. But soon it was clear that a Board of Management could bring good practical support and help, as well as encouragement and ideas along with the good governance that came from lay people involved in the school Board.

It is good this evening to think back over the past fifty years and be grateful for the members of school boards, both past and present, for their generous contribution. Boards serve for a period of four years and members are drawn from staff, the parents of the school, nominees of the patron and members of the community. It is remarkable to think we have approximately 800 people in our Diocese alone, actively engaged in school boards in Catholic Schools. Their commitment and shared responsibilities in governance and oversight cannot be overestimated. We recall with gratitude the huge work also of school staff and teachers. We remember also the clergy who have worked in various capacities with school Boards. Pope Leo, himself formerly a teacher for some years, has a very high regard for those involved in education as he indicated in the Jubilee Celebration for Educators.

Some former Board members, schoolteachers and staff as well as clergy have moved on to the next life. New generations have succeeded them. They laid foundations that we now build up. But we remember them with gratitude in our hearts and pray this evening for the repose of their soul, believing that when they met the Lord, he will have thanked them for their role on the school Board, noting all they have done with the words “you did it to me”.

Yes, it is Jesus we serve in working for the benefit of a school and the local community. So many of our schools cater for students from all kinds of backgrounds and nationalities. Catholic schools are real points of integration in Irish society, embedded as they are in local communities. Not only are schools embedded in the tradition of a local community, they contribute much to creating and fostering community. They become hubs of learning and culture, sport and music, tradition and novelty. Indeed, we can say that all that goes on in Catholic schools is a daily witness to the fact that “Christian love is prophetic: it works miracles”. The school community is an Advent coming. It is place of listening to the Gospel and putting it into practice so that day by day God can come more and more with his light, love, life and meaning.

At times, we can get disheartened when looking at developments in the world’s politics and regimes. And yet Catholic schools have the mission to keep hope alive. It is good to recall this in the Jubilee Year of Hope. It is in working together, Board members, school staff, teachers, students, clergy and the local community, that we can do our part to set people free from an encircling gloom that can easily threaten to “cancel” hope. Let’s remember, however, that Jesus The Teacher par excellence is at work in our schools. He is our hope. We can never forget that. As they go about their duties, Board members should be mindful that they too are his disciples attending his “school.” The regular routine of meetings requires commitment and perseverance. Sometimes, complex situations arise, requiring careful and wise consideration and action. All of this is a schooling. And, as we know, as we help others, we ourselves are being formed. The logic of the Gospel is true: give and you will receive.

Dear Board members gathered here this evening, on behalf of your local parishes and on behalf of the Diocese and on my own behalf as Patron, I thank you. I thank also St. Senan’s Education office that offers Board members opportunities for deepening their understanding ensuring they have the information, skills and support they need in carrying out their responsibility.  I acknowledge also this evening the great work of CPMSA. To one and all, let me conclude by saying thanks for what you have done to draw the Kingdom of heaven close to many young people. May the Lord bless you and keep you; may he make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.