The school community joined together this afternoon for a beautiful concelebrated Mass led by Father Kane and Father Travers.  It was a most fitting way to begin our festivities as we celebrate the school’s Golden Jubilee.  The children were a real credit to the school, their teachers and were a credit to all the former pupils and teachers who both attended and served the school over that last 50 years.  Many thanks to Father Kane who presented the school with a special commemorative  Chalice to mark such a momentous occasion in the school’s long history.  Father Kane’s Homily highlighted to the children the long history of the school, all of which is well chronicled in the parish archives which are also available on the Parish website.   Did you know St.Augustine’s original school opened in 1882?  The log books  provides us with some stark information about how difficult life was for children at that time.  Here are a few sad extracts

20 January 1882:   Lack of books.

24 November 1882:   Frost having set in, those who have no shoes are seldom seen.

10 April 1885:   A child died of measles

17 April 1885:   Another child died of measles.   School closed because of epidemic.

20 November 1885:   Weather fearfully cold.   Attendance poor.   As so many of the children are bare-footed this cannot be wondered at.   Indeed I feel very sorry to see them at all in school in such a state.

24 December 1886:   Children with bare feet who came in the snow were unfit to work in class.   I kept them round the fire at intervals in batches.

Such sad entries tell us in only a few sentences how poor the children of that time were and how fortunate we are today.  We celebrate the Golden Jubilee of our school building  but we also recognise the long history of which we are a part.