“If we insist on being as sure as is conceivable… we must be content to creep along the ground, and never soar.” ― John Henry Newman
Our Academy Houses
When Pope Benedict visited England in 2010, he spoke to young people in the Big Assembly and challenged them to try to live like Saints; ordinary people challenged to do good things and to enter into friendship with God, he spoke the following words,
“I hope that among those of you listening to me today there are some of the future saints of the twenty-first century”
“What God wants most of all for each one of you is that you should
become holy. He loves you much more than you could ever begin to
imagine, and he wants the very best for you. And by far the best thing for you is to grow in holiness. God wants your friendship. And once you enter into friendship with God, everything in your life begins to change…”
“What kind of person would you really like to be? When I invite you to become saints, I am asking you not to be content with second best.”
The names of our school houses reinforces Pope Benedict’s message to young people, our students are challenged to be like Saints, to strive for saintly qualities; Charity, Vocation, Strength, Diligence.
Never to be content with second best.
House Saints
Caritas – Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa was a Catholic who put her faith into action. From the age of 18 she worked as a missionary with the world’s poorest people, after learning basic medicine, she treated the sick in their homes and on the streets. Mother Teresa opened a school for children who lived in the slums of Calcutta she started her own order called The Missionaries of Charity whose primary task was to love and care for those persons nobody was prepared to look after, the missionary grew and spread around the world, opening homes for the homeless, hungry and sick, for drug addicts, AIDS victims, for any human person who was suffering.
Fortitudo – St. Maximilian Kolbe
Maximillian Kolbe showed enormous strength and compassion for others, whilst imprisoned in Auschwitz during World War II. When one of the prisoners escaped, all of the men were brought out, knowing what to expect.
One man from each line was selected at random to be executed, a sergeant, Francis Gajowniczek cried out in a despairing voice, “My wife, my children, I shall never see them again!” Hearing this Maximillian Kolbe stepped out and offered to take Gajowniczek’s place., “Butcher” Fritsch, did not care who went to the Bunker, so long as there were ten of them, so he nodded. “Who are you?” he asked carelessly. “I am a Catholic priest. I wish to die for that man. I am old; he has a wife and children.”
Industria – Oscar Romero
He lived a life of service to God. Romero was greatly affected by the divide between rich and poor in his country, El Salvador. Although he was a quiet and shy man, he found the courage to speak out against the government’s treatment of the poor, in spite of the threat of death; he delivered weekly radio sermons speaking of the violence and poverty in his country. On 24 March 1980, Oscar Romero was celebrating mass. A car drew up and a shot was fired through the open church door. Oscar Romero was killed for speaking out against injustice.
Vocare – St Therese of Lisieux
At the age of 15. She became a nun and agreed to give her whole life to God; living and teaching spirituality through love, she inspired people to love God in a childlike way, loving him as a child and accepting that we are not perfect, relying on Jesus’ forgiveness and mercy when we do wrong, the type of forgiveness that a parent shows to a child. St Therese’s “little way” describes her understanding of being a follower of Jesus, although her life seemed ordinary and simple, her confidence and demonstration of God’s love has inspired many Christians.
