Blessed Sacrament returns to school’s historic church
St Vincent’s School celebrated the return of the permanent presence of the Blessed Sacrament to the school chapel.
Fr Mark O’Hagan the school Chaplain celebrated Mass in the recently refurbished school chapel to mark the return of the permanent presence of the Blessed Sacrament in St Malacy’s Chapel last month.
Following the mass Fr Mark led a procession of the Blessed Sacrament throughout the school. Teachers and students lined the corridors and stairs and as the procession moved by, all were blessed with Holy water from the chapel by former Principal Sr Joan Watters.
The chapel was an integral part of life for the Sisters of Mercy in Dundalk, and when they moved to their new home on Mill Street they donated the sacred space to the school. Principal Deirdre Matthews spoke about her wish to have the permanent presence of the Blessed Sacrament returned to the chapel as the sacrament had not been reserved in the chapel since 8th February 2002. She noted that a recent visit by Archbishop Eamon Martin to meet the St Vincent’s Lighthouse Leaders, had ultimately led to this holy occasion.
The chapel will be open to students throughout the school day to visit and Mrs Matthews expressed her hope that the sacred space would be used as a support to the spiritual wellbeing of all members of the community.
Invited guests included former principals; Anne McDonnell and Sr Joan Watters and Vice-Principal Dr Don Hodgers, members of the Sisters of Mercy Sr Marie Celine Johnson and Sr Philomena Horner, Dr Marie Griffin the CEO of CEIST, and Frank Cooney, Mary Caffrey Chairpersons of the Board of Management, as well as representatives of the teaching staff, canteen staff, ancillary staff members, Student Council representatives and a student from every class in the school.
The staff and students of St Vincent’s were all individually involved in creating a piece of art that centred on the Eucharist for the chapel to commemorate the occasion.
Every member of the school community were invited to place their thumbprint on the border of the painting to symbolise their part in the sacred occasion.
The church was beautifully decorated in the summer of 2017 by Louth village company, Seamus Duff & Sons.