On the Wednesday of Holy Week all the schools in the parish had a Day of Recollection. Father Cranshaw took the Primary School, Father Kurtz took the Boys’ Secondary School, and Father Laisney took the Girls’ Secondary School, St Dominic’s College.
Our Day of Recollection was held in the Hockey Club and the Croquet Club. We had talks in the Hockey club where we each had a table to write on and a nice chair. Sister Catherine had removed some of the Hockey photos and had put up a crucifix instead. Father spoke very well about the Mysteries of the Rosary and we said Fifteen Decades of the Rosary during the day. Between the lectures we were able to go to the Hockey Club for confessions as the Sisters had set up a confessional using the Hockey Club’s notice-boards.
If we were not going to Confession we spent the time between the lectures in the Croquet Club. As we had a lot of brass to clean for the Easter Ceremonies we worked silently on that while a teacher read to us or played a tape.
At lunch-time we sat out on the Croquet Lawn and ate silently while the teachers played a tape. Then it was back to the brass!
A nice feature of the day was the Outdoor Stations of the Cross which took place around the Croquet Lawn after lunch. Sister Catheine had made a laminated picture of each Station and we processed around them with Father leading us and all of us praying the prayers from the St Alphonsus books used in the Church.
Round about 3 o’clock the day ended and we could talk again. We certainly did break out then. We had to put the Hockey Hall back to its usual order, and to tidy the Croquet Club. We left much of the brass there as many of us would come voluntarily next day to continue cleaning it.
What a lovely preparation for Easter and well written by the
girl(s) involved. I am quite sure the silence was quite difficult for teenage girls today , but silence can be a great blessing and allows us to concentrate inwardly for a time. Our Lady was very often silent and we know how “she pondered these things in her heart”. Sometimes we can be guilty of talking too much and of listening too little. “Custody of the tongue” is an important virtue to practice. Congratulations to the girls who cleaned the brassware. I am sure the Easter ceremonies were all the more beautiful because of their work. Congratulations also to the Priests and Sisters involved. These girls are so fortunate to be in such good hands. Finally a word for the parents. God Bless your wonderful and vital work. The future of our world has been entrusted to you by Almighty God. His confidence in you has not been misplaced.