I've just been appointed Chaplain of St Margaret Ward Catholic High School, Tunstall, Stoke on Trent and today I celebrated the St Margaret Ward's Day Mass with the whole school community. St Margaret Ward, who was born at Congleton, Cheshire (my birth place, as it happens) was executed at Tyburn in 1588. Her actual feast day is on August 30th, but as that is rather inconvenient for a school, so this year the day was kept at the very end of the Summer Term.
It was a wonderful Mass. We gathered together on one of the yards (the Hall was much too small), which formed an ideal location.The weather was sunny and cloudy, but the rain held off. The students respectfully kept the silences of the Mass and sang with gusto. A group of musicians formed a small orchestra for the day. The English department contributed a drama on the life of St Margaret Ward and her relevance for today (a little homily which did me out of a job!) and the performing arts deparment did a dance on 'blessed are the gentle'. Students also did the readings and bidding prayers. Four members of the staff assisted with administration of communion.
I'll post some photos below. Its not especially easy to take pictures as the celebrant of the Mass (and probably against some rubric or other), and the sunshine was so bright it was hard to frame the picture on my iphone. Despite this, the photos are a bit dull. However, I've had a go.
There is also a short snippet of the singing (with my voice rather dominant). Click here to listen to 30 seconds of 'Sing it in the Valleys!'
Below: some pictures:
It was a wonderful Mass. We gathered together on one of the yards (the Hall was much too small), which formed an ideal location.The weather was sunny and cloudy, but the rain held off. The students respectfully kept the silences of the Mass and sang with gusto. A group of musicians formed a small orchestra for the day. The English department contributed a drama on the life of St Margaret Ward and her relevance for today (a little homily which did me out of a job!) and the performing arts deparment did a dance on 'blessed are the gentle'. Students also did the readings and bidding prayers. Four members of the staff assisted with administration of communion.
I'll post some photos below. Its not especially easy to take pictures as the celebrant of the Mass (and probably against some rubric or other), and the sunshine was so bright it was hard to frame the picture on my iphone. Despite this, the photos are a bit dull. However, I've had a go.
There is also a short snippet of the singing (with my voice rather dominant). Click here to listen to 30 seconds of 'Sing it in the Valleys!'
Below: some pictures:
3 comments:
Quite a crowd of souls,God bless 'em!
Not quite the Oratory but there you go!
I think it may take a few years before we reach the liturgical heights. In the meantime it's spades and vegetables (!)
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