On the morning of 8 September, St Mary’s DSG celebrated its 147th birthday with a whole-school Eucharist on the Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was a fitting occasion on which to give thanks for the life of our school, the generations who have shaped it, and the community we continue to build together.
We were privileged to welcome Bishop Vicentia Kgabe to preside and preach at the Eucharist. Reflecting on Mary’s courageous “yes” to God, the Bishop reminded us that faith often begins with trust: a willingness to respond to God even when we cannot yet see where the journey will lead. She also spoke about the call to “put on Christ”, allowing the presence and example of Jesus to shape us and transform the way we live, serve and relate to others day by day.
These words carried particular significance at a service celebrating the birthday of a school named after Mary. As we marked 147 years of St Mary’s DSG, we were reminded that our heritage is not simply something we look back upon. It is something we continue to live, shape and pass on. Each generation becomes part of a story that began long before us and will continue long after we have left.
Within this celebration, 14 of our Grade 5 students were admitted to the Holy Sacrament of Communion by Bishop Vicentia, marking an important milestone in their own journey of faith.
In preparation for the occasion, the candidates were faithfully taught and mentored by Ms Erin McGee and attended dedicated Holy Communion classes on Wednesday afternoons. These sessions gave them time to prepare carefully for the sacrament and to reflect on what it means to receive Holy Communion as part of the worshipping life of the Church.
Members of their families were also present to share in the occasion, making this a particularly meaningful celebration within the wider life of the school. Following their admission, Bishop Vicentia presented and blessed a badge for each candidate. Parents, or a representative, then took part in a simple but deeply significant gesture by pinning the badge onto their daughters’ blazers.
The badge is a visible reminder of a moment that carries much deeper meaning. It marks an important step in each candidate’s life of faith and also serves as a reminder that faith is not something completed in a single service. It continues to be shaped over time through worship, prayer, questions, experience, service and participation in the life of the Church.
There was something especially fitting about celebrating this milestone during the Birthday Eucharist. As St Mary’s marked another year in its long history, these Grade 5s were beginning a new chapter in their own participation in the sacramental life of the Church. The occasion brought together the heritage we have received and the faith we continue to nurture in those who will carry the life of our community forward.
The prayer used by the candidates expresses beautifully something that extends far beyond this one occasion: the hope that we may learn to see Christ more clearly, love him more dearly and follow him more nearly, day by day.
As we celebrate 147 years of St Mary’s DSG, may that become a prayer for all of us.
May we recognise Christ more clearly in one another and in the life we share.
May we grow in our love for God through prayer, worship, service and the way we care for those around us.
May the Holy Spirit give us wisdom, courage and a deeper trust in God for the journey ahead.
And, like Mary, may we have the faith to say “yes” when God calls us, following Christ more nearly, day by day.
Amen.
