WelCom February 2017:
Youth, Schools, Education
Martin Elms, Principal
St Patrick’s School Parapararumu – looking back and looking forward.
The time has come at St Patrick’s School, Paraparaumu, to transition to our new Our Lady of Kāpiti School, and forge a new story and a future, based on what has been and what has made us a successful Catholic character school.
Our school holds many precious memories, good times, sad times and special times in our faith journey as the parish school of St Patrick’s and now of Our Lady of Kāpiti Parish.
We have grown and developed as a place where Catholic Christian faith is encouraged, nurtured and developed and where we strive for and celebrate excellence.
On 8 December last year Fr Michael McCabe with Fr Owen Sinclair celebrated the final Mass for our school and the year 8 graduation.
At the Offertory Presentation Sisters Breda and Theresa and students brought up the Nano Nagel lantern, the school bell, enrolment registers, and a time capsule to be buried at the new school.
The capsule will hold photos, other memorabilia, predictions written by the children about life and what they may be doing when they have a reunion in 50 or 60 years’ time to dig it up.
Fr Michael blessed a new icon painted by artist and parishioner Johannes Sijbrant. The commissioned icon will be installed in the new school foyer.
The next day a ‘last’ St Patrick’s School photo was taken followed by a Liturgy. The Presentation Sisters joined us in prayer, Irish song, and a final blessing from Fr Michael. The children filed out to a rousing haka as senior students held Nano Nagel’s lantern lit with the light of Christ taking us forward into the new Our Lady of Kāpiti School, which starts on 7 February 2017.
Cardinal John Dew will officially open and bless the new school on 17 March.