The O’Shea Shield 2024 logo is symbolic of the Visitation.
WelCom May 2024
Kathy Ryan and Maria Neville-Foster
Running since 1946, the O’Shea Shield is one of New Zealand’s oldest intercollegiate competitions. Sacred Heart College Napier has the privilege of hosting the 2024 O’Shea Shield.
The competition will run from Friday 17 May to Saturday 18 May.
O’Shea Shield is an annual event involving young people from the 17 Catholic secondary schools throughout Wellington Archdiocese and Palmerston North Diocese in a variety of speech and drama events over two days.
This year, Sacred Heart College has chosen as the theme: ‘Sparks of Hope – Te Ahi Kā’, drawn from the writing of Pope Francis. In Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis reminds us that hope speaks to us of something deeply rooted in every human heart.
Te Ahi Kā is an ever-glowing fire and, in the context of our Catholic Faith, it is the ever-glowing fire of the Sacred Heart that burns for eternity, fuelled by the ignition of our prayers.
This year we each bring our sparks to fuel Te Ahi Kā o Te Wairua Tapu – the ever-glowing fire of the Holy Spirit. This is particularly appropriate as the competition takes place during the weekend of Pentecost.
It is in the meeting of hearts and minds through the O’Shea Shield that this message of hope is spread. These sparks of hope, fuelling the fire, will travel back with all the young participants and ripple through the wider Catholic school community.
Our theme also draws from the charism of Sacred Heart College, as an RNDM school.
The Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions or Les Religieuses de Notre Dame des Missions (RNDM) charism is contemplation, community and mission.
The Visitation is the scripture on RNDM Barbier modelled her missionary work. Mary physically brings Christ into the life of Elizabeth. All of us are called to carry Christ to others. As an RNDM school Sacred Heart College is inspired by Mary, through the Visitation, to go out and ignite the sparks of hope in the lives of others. The logo for O’Shea Shield 2024 is symbolic of the Visitation.
O’Shea Shield 2024 at Sacred Heart College, Napier, starts on Thursday, 16 May, at 4pm to gather for a Pōwhiri. The competition runs through Friday 17 and Saturday 18 May. It concludes with a Pentecost Vigil Mass and prizegiving on the Saturday afternoon.
Information about the O’Shea Shield competition for 2024 is available on the Sacred Heart College Napier website: sacredheartnapier.school.nz
Kathy Ryan is O’Shea Shield Coordinator; Maria Neville-Foster is Principal, Sacred Heart College, Napier.
