The school community joined together this afternoon for a beautiful concelebrated Mass led by Father Kane and Father Travers.\u00a0 It was a most fitting way to begin our festivities as we celebrate the school’s Golden Jubilee.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Many thanks to Father Kane who presented the school with a special commemorative\u00a0 Chalice to mark such a momentous occasion in the school’s long history.\u00a0 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.\u00a0\u00a0 Did you know St.Augustine’s original school opened in 1882?\u00a0 The log books\u00a0 provides us with some stark information about how difficult life was for children at that time.\u00a0 Here are a few sad extracts<\/p>\n
20 January 1882:\u00a0\u00a0 Lack of books.<\/p>\n
24 November 1882:\u00a0\u00a0 Frost having set in, those who have no shoes are seldom seen.<\/p>\n
10 April 1885:\u00a0\u00a0 A child died of measles<\/p>\n
17 April 1885:\u00a0\u00a0 Another child died of measles.\u00a0\u00a0 School closed because of epidemic.<\/p>\n
20 November 1885:\u00a0\u00a0 Weather fearfully cold.\u00a0\u00a0 Attendance poor.\u00a0\u00a0 As so many of the children are bare-footed this cannot be wondered at.\u00a0\u00a0 Indeed I feel very sorry to see them at all in school in such a state.<\/p>\n
24 December 1886:\u00a0\u00a0 Children with bare feet who came in the snow were unfit to work in class.\u00a0\u00a0 I kept them round the fire at intervals in batches.<\/p>\n
Such sad entries tell us in only a few sentences how poor the children of that time were and how fortunate we are today.\u00a0 We celebrate the Golden Jubilee of our school building\u00a0 but we also recognise the long history of which we are a part.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The school community joined together this afternoon for a beautiful concelebrated Mass led by Father Kane and Father Travers.\u00a0 It was a most fitting way to begin our festivities as we celebrate the school’s Golden Jubilee.\u00a0 The children were a real credit to the school, their teachers and were a credit to all the former … Continue reading Golden Jubilee Celebrations<\/span>