Sacred Heart Lower Hutt stands in tribute to long-time DRS

Schools

12 August 2008

The students at Sacred Heart College, Lower Hutt, celebrated the school’s feast day, on June 27, by giving a standing ovation to their director of religious studies for the past 22 years, Sr Josephine Kane, who had just been appointed co-leader of the Order (Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions) with Sister Carmel Cole.

The announcement was made at the end of the feast day Mass which the current co-leaders, Sister Valerie Lawson and Sister Pauline Leonard attended with five other Mission sisters.

Father Gerard Burns, as celebrant, gave a clear message of forgiveness and reconciliation using examples from the day’s newspaper. It was a strong plea for justice with mercy and forgiveness and the students were very attentive.

At the concert which follows the shared lunches, which the girls have in their form-classes on feast days, the principal dressed up in a 1950s Mission Sisters’ holy habit from the Britannia St archives. Sister Mary Philomene RNDM, Sister Teresa RNDM and Sister Rosaline assisted with the enrobing.

The staff item had some very complicated dance routines and this was followed by the entrance of the ‘Sister’ of Our Lady of the Missions. There were hip-hop dancers, Irish dancers, Indian dancers, drama skits and song.

The school ball at the Duxton hotel on Saturday night, June 28, ended a very happy term in which the college team shared first place in O’Shea Shield with Sacred Heart Napier, received a pleasing ERO report, performed with credit at Mission Cup in Hamilton (netball) and won all four sections of the Nga Manu Korero regional speech competitions on May 22. The school’s oratory representative for O’Shea Shield, Holly Jenkins, has also been chosen for the Russell McVeigh debating team which will travel to Washington DC in September and Europe next year.

At Feast Day Mass 10 new Eucharistic Ministers were commissioned. These girls are Rebecca Clinton, Sophia Smith, Imeletu Tuipe’a, Stacey Cox, Deanne Rutherford, Lauren McGuinness, Hannah Mills, Elizabeth Lenton, Emily Tutt and Victoria Aukusitino.