PRESS RELEASE
14 June 2011
Faith in Action in Your School
Exhibition of the projects prepared by second level pupils for Catholic Schools Week 2011
and presentation of awards, in St Patrick’s College, Maynooth
On Monday 13 June an exhibition of the projects prepared by second level pupils for Catholic Schools Week 2011 and the presentation of awards to the winning projects took place in Renehan Hall, St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, Co Kildare. Students were invited to make a project on their school to show how the entire school community puts faith into action. The awards were presented by Bishop Leo O’Reilly, Bishop of Kilmore and Sr Canice Hanrahan from CORI. Bishop Brendan Kelly, Chairman of the Council for Catholic Education introduced the exhibition and the award ceremony and led the group in prayer.
Please see below the addresses of Bishop Leo O’Reilly and Sr Canice Hanrahan and the full list of award winners:
Bishop Leo O’Reilly:
Second-level students, parents, grandparents, teachers and staff, Catholic Schools Week 2011 committee and resource groups, friends.
You are very welcome to the exhibition of the projects prepared for Catholic Schools Week 2011 and to the presentation of awards to the successful schools.
This year we invited second-level students, individually or in groups, to make a presentation on their school. The presentations highlighted some or all of the following key themes:
– The history of the school
– The achievements of staff and pupils
– The patron saint of the school
The presentations set out to show how the entire school community puts faith into action.
We received a very impressive response to the invitation. I wish to thank the students and the schools for the time and work given to preparing the projects.
I know we have many teachers here this evening. Projects such as we view here this evening are a tribute to your work in a special way. Thank you for your work. We must never forget the words of the Second Vatican Council “…the Catholic school depends upon teachers almost entirely for the accomplishment of its goals and programs”. (GE8)
The projects are excellent and gave us a flavour of life in your schools. We are very impressed. It is clear that staff and students are conscious of the faith vision that inspires all that happens in the day-today lives of the school.
I wish to congratulate all who submitted projects. We honour all of you and it is good that you are here this evening representing those who worked on the exhibits that are around us.
It was not easy for the committee to choose prize winners.
The following are the winners and we wish to congratulate them on their success
Senior Cycle
First
Christ the King Girl’s Secondary School,
South Douglas Road,
Cork,
Student: Laura O Donnell
Second
Ardscoil la Salle
Raheny
Co Dublin
Students: 5th and 6th Years
Third
Ballyhaunis Community College
Ballyhaunis
Co Mayo
Winners Junior Cycle
First
Ard Scoil na Trionoide
Athy
Co Kildare
Mr Anthony Creevy
Students: Aoife K White, Ruth Kehoe, Laura O Halloran, Railtin Minahin
Second
Maryfield College
Glandore Road
Drumcondra
Dublin 9
Student: Diana Slupko
Third
Loreto Secondary School
Balbriggan
Students: Michelle Burke, Edith Donnelly, Rebecca Ward, Ella Gleeson, Lauren Garraway
Sr Canice Hanrahan:
Second-level students, parents, grandparents, teachers and staff, Catholic Schools Week 2011 committee and resource groups, friends.
I wish to join Bishop Leo O’Reilly in welcoming you to the exhibition of the projects prepared for Catholic Schools Week 2011 and to the presentation of awards.
As has been said we are very happy with the response to this year’s project. The quality of the work is so high that we decided to select a number as meriting a special recommendation. Shortly I will give the certificates of these awards.
I recommend you to take some time with the exhibits. They are very creative and we are proud of the great work that takes place in your schools.
There are three groups that I wish to thank this evening:
The Grandparents.
There is no doubt that grandparents have a special place in the lives of their grandchildren. This is true especially when it comes to faith and values. There are some grandparents with us this evening. Thank you for your care for the young and thank you for modelling the faith for them and handing on a love and respect for life.
The Resource Groups
Every year the resources prepared for Catholic Schools Week (CSW) are welcomed in our homes, schools and parishes. Thank you for preparing the resources. Thank you for your work. The resources are a key element in the success of Catholic Schools Week.
The CSW Committee
Each year much work goes into preparing CSW. This is the remit of the CSW Committee. A special word of thanks to the Committee. CSW 2011 was very successful. I wish to compliment you on choosing both Mount Sion in Waterford and Holy Cross College, Strabane, and St Joseph’s Secondary School in Derry for the launch. They were inspiring choices and all those who took part deserve our gratitude.
It is now my pleasant duty to make the awards:
Highly Recommended
Senior Cycle
Holy Rosary College,
Mountbellew
Junior Cycle
1. Blackrock College
Blackrock
Co Dublin
Student: Gavin Coll
2. St Colman’s College
Violet Hill
46 Armagh Road
Newry
Co Down
Student: Adam Toner
3. Ard Scoil na Trionoide
Athy
Co Kildare
Student: Anna Fitzpatrick
4. St Patrick’s High School
Keady
Co Armagh
Class 9/53
5. St Columban’s College
Newcastle Road
Kilkeel
Co Down
Student; Rhiannon Campbell
6. St Joseph’s High School
Derry
Student; Ruairi Friel
7. Scoil Mhuire
Strokestown
CO Roscommon
Students: Class 103
8. Seamount College
Kinvara
Co Galway
Students; Evanne Fahy, Deairbhile O Shea,Blaize Amara Pearse
9. St Patrick’s Grammar School
Downpatrick
Co Down
Student: Glenn O Neill
10. Scoil Mhuire
Trim
Co Meath
Student; Claire-Louise Vickery
11. Presentation secondary School
Clonmel
Co Tipperary
Student: Third Year Group
Notes to editors
- Bishop Brendan Kelly, Chairman of the Council for Catholic Education introduced the exhibition and the award ceremony. Bishop Kelly led the group in prayer and introduced the speakers
- Bishop Leo O’Reilly is co-chair of Catholic Education Service Committee (CESC)
- Sr Canice Hanrahan, Conference of Religious of Ireland (CORI) represented Sr Elizabeth Maxwell, co-chair of Catholic Education Service Committee (CESC)
- Catholic Schools Week is a celebration of Catholic schools throughout Ireland, North and South. It acknowledges the tremendous contribution that our Catholic primary and post-primary schools make not just to Irish society, but to the mission of the Church. The theme for Catholic Schools Week 2011 was Catholic Schools – Rooted in Jesus Christ. Catholic Schools Week ran from Sunday 30 January to Saturday 5 February 2011.
Further information:
Catholic Communications Office Maynooth: Martin Long 00353 (0) 86 172 7678 and Brenda Drumm 00353 (0) 87 310 4444
