Aquinas College celebrated the church’s seasons and feast days in preparation for Pentecost.
Term 1 began with Ash Wednesday, a liturgy where Deacon Vince challenged students and staff to use Lent as a time to make the ‘selfish me’ move over and make some room for the ‘unselfish me’. A few weeks into Lent, some of the students shared how their Lenten journey was going.
In a humble and real way, students admitted that Lent is a trying time. Good intentions to ‘give up’ fast food and fizzy drinks sometimes give way to the pressures of study and socialising. They all agreed that these small acts of self-denial were the least they could do when reflecting on Christ’s own sacrifice of his very life for us.
Reflecting on that other journey that Christ made to his passion and death some two thousand years ago, 24 senior students made the annual Cross Walk on the Tuesday of Holy Week. Students took turns carrying a large wooden cross from St Thomas More Church at Mount Maunganui, across the Matapihi rail bridge to the centre of Tauranga. They then proceeded out to Aquinas College, stopping at St Mary’s Primary School. Along the way, the students prayed the Stations of the Cross and gave witness to their faith.
Term 1 concluded with a whole-school Holy Thursday liturgy. Principal Mr Scott and Deputy Principal Mr Kennedy modelled servant leadership by washing the feet of twelve students, just as Jesus had done. The students listened to the story of the passion and death of Jesus and spent time venerating the cross.
During the Easter long weekend, the school was host to Hui Aranga 2017, a meeting of North Island iwi. This event celebrated the spiritual, cultural, social and physical well-being of the Māori people. The themes for these celebrations included the commemoration of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.
True to the school touchstone of Service, students will serve the community on May 25th. Caring for people in need, visiting rest homes and helping out at clubs and charities, students will be Christ’s hands and feet in the local community.
And now the school’s focus is on the upcoming Feast of Pentecost, the celebration of the birthday of the Catholic Church. To mark this special day on the Church calendar, there will be a Mass held at Aquinas College. All our community and whanau are welcome to attend at 10.15am on Thursday 1st June in the Aquinas Action Centre.
Celebrated 50 days after Easter, Pentecost marks the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. This was the start of their ministry to go forth and make disciples of all nations. The students will be challenged to proclaim the word of God in their daily lives through all that they say and do.
