5. H C S C H O O L S Connelly School, Potomac, MD Cornelia Connelly School, Anaheim, CA Holy Child Academy, Drexel Hill, PA Cornelia Connelly Center, NY, NY Mayfield Junior School, Pasadena, CA Mayfield Senior School, Pasadena, CA Holy Child Academy, Old Westbury, NY Oak Knoll, Summit, NJ Rosemont School of the Holy Child, Rosemont, PA School of the Holy Child, Rye NY
6. A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Philippians and to us. The word of the Lord All: Thanks be to God!
Today is St. Teresa’s Day, the founding Day of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus. 16 3 years ago, Cornelia Connelly, along with a 4 young sisters, went to establish a house in Darby, England . On this day, they had the first Mass said to bless their new work. From here, they began to teach children and adults, and to help them understand the Catholic faith, and the wonders of God’s love for us. There it was that they began to do the work of God!
Let us all together join in song! (song as above)
╬ Sign of the Cross Let us pray in the words of Cornelia Connelly: ╬ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Let us pray in the words of Cornelia Connelly:
To understand the spirit of Holy Child Schools, one must know Cornelia. She was a wife, mother, convert to Catholicism and foundress of a religious congregation of women. In 1846, Cornelia Connelly began a quiet revolution. With a small band - six, all told - of newly professed sisters, she set out to do nothing less than completely change the way children were educated. And she succeeded. Cornelia challenged the worth of educating by rote , that is, the practice of having children memorize facts in a mechanical way without much interest in meaning. Cornelia Connelly believed that children learn best when treated with reverence and respect and when actively engaged in their education. Cornelia encouraged learning outside the classroom, learning through games, physical activity and recreation, drama, music and drawing. This was a radical belief at her time and, indeed, for more than a century thereafter. Today, Cornelia’s beliefs are recognized as valid and effective, and admired as the best in current educational practice.
And they can be seen, every day, in the Holy Child Network of Schools which thrives across our country, and in many other Holy Child schools around the world that follow her spirit and way of educating.
If our life in Christ means anything to you, if love can persuade at all, or the Spirit that we have in common, or any tenderness and sympathy, then be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind. That is the one thing which would make me completely happy. There must be no competition among you, no conceit; but everybody is to be self-effacing. Always consider the other person to be better than yourself, So that nobody thinks of his own interests first but everybody thinks of other people’s interests instead. In your minds you must be the same as Christ Jesus:
Litany to the Holy Child Jesus, the Child of God and Son of Mary, Came to us in a humble, hidden way. Like us he grew in wisdom, age and grace. He taught and healed and forgave so all might believe. Let us pray now, to Jesus, our Model and our Lord:
As above
Our pray is ended. Let us go now in peace . Thanks be to God! (sing) Go now in peace, Go now in peace. May the love of God surround you, Everywhere, everywhere You may go. (all repeat)