Laurel Hill Coláiste FCJ – 90^th Anniversary Mass

Speaking Notes of Bishop Brendan Leahy

Ninety years have passed since this school as established. So many sisters, teachers and staff, but especially students, have passed through this hallowed place. It is good for us today to have this opportunity to reflect and, as the Gospel we’ve just heard reminds us to do, to give thanks. It is so important to be grateful.

Last week, together with a group of teachers, as part of the Jubilee Year of Hope being celebrated by the Catholic Church, all over the world, I was in Rome for the Jubilee of educators. Over the days we were there, Pope Leo spoke on a number of occasions about education. I want us to draw out three points he made.

First, he said that “it is a mistake to think that beautiful words or good classrooms, laboratories and libraries are enough to teach. These are only means and physical spaces, certainly useful, but the Teacher is within. Truth does not spread through sounds, walls and corridors, but in the profound encounter between people”. While I’m sure this school is a fine building, and many here probably have their own memories of this or that place in the school, but that’s not what we are celebrating today. This school has been, above all, a place of encounter, a place of companionship reaching right back to the vision and inspiration of the foundress of the Sisters Faithful Companions of Jesus, Marie Madeleine Victoire de Bonnault d’Houet, communicated so clearly by Sr. Benin. What marked the ethos of this school of the past ninety years has been the desire to promote companionship with Jesus and with one another. It is in true companionship that Truth reaches not just into our heads and ears, but into our hearts, into our inner selves. That’s when education can really “make a difference for the better” as Mother d’Houet used to say.

A school is, of course, a place where knowledge is shared and communicated, but again Pope Leo noted that it has to be a place where we discover who we are and what the meaning of life is. The mission statement says this school aims to co-operate with parents in fostering the full and balanced development of each student. In doing so, it aims to provide a broad, balanced, education which fosters the academic, spiritual, personal and creative development of each individual, in a respectful and caring environment. It does this because it wants each student to blossom in their unique gifts and personality. We know the phrase of the recently canonised young saint, Carlo Acutis: “all of us are born originals, but too many end up simply as photocopies”. Each of us has our own personal identity. God wants us to “shine like the stars”, each with a light to offer our world. At times this means going against the tide. Again, we remember the words of Mother d’Houet: “Do well and let them talk”. What matters is to be faithful to the truth, to love, to peace. This school with its high standards has sought to inculcate true values, those spoken about in the second reading: “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things”. Let’s give thanks also for this as the school helped foster each student’s personal journey in identity formation as they engaged in sport and literature, music and the arts, academics and spirituality.

A third point that I would highlight today on the basis of what Pope Leo said last week is that a school is a laboratory of prophecy, where hope is lived, and constantly discussed and encouraged. Young people in general have great energy and to be with them is to be in a place of hope. This school has fostered generations of young women’s hopes and dreams. So many have gone on to great achievements. Among the many prophetic aspects of this school, we can be grateful for its promotion of the Irish language and heritage. In many ways, this school was a prophetic sign of the future develop in the cultural renaissance of the Irish language.

So today, while looking back in gratitude, we pray today for the students, teachers and staff who are currently here and those who will yet come here. We remember also their parents and families. Let’s repeat to ourselves the words of the First Reading where God says: “I know my plans for you; plans of peace”. God has indeed great plans of peace for each of you.

If I might just pass on the advice Pope Leo gave to young people last week – after all Pope Leo had been a teacher for many years --. Referring to the rise in the use of technology by all of us, he said to the young people: ‘do not let the algorithm write your story! Be the authors yourselves; use technology wisely, but do not let technology use you. It is not enough to be “intelligent” in virtual reality; we must also treat one another humanely, nurturing emotional, spiritual, social and ecological intelligence’. 

Our hope is that this school will always be a place that forms truth-speakers and peace-makers. The world is crying out for truth-speakers and peace-makers. Always bear in mind Mother d’Houet’s words that we must never say “'I cannot do that, I am not capable of doing this job.' God will not fail to give you the grace to do all that he has asked of you”.

Finally, let’s all of us entrust this school, its history and its future to Our Lady. You have the beautiful ceremony of the outgoing sixth years crowning of the statue of Our Lady. No one was a more faithful companion of Jesus than she was. We can imagine that she is happy today to be celebrating with us the 90^th anniversary of this school that has achieved so much as a place of encounter, a space for the discovery of meaning, a laboratory of prophecy and hope. She would want us to make our own the words of St. Paul: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”