Accepting a very kind invitation from the headteacher Mrs Alexander-Sowa to a post-Pentecost celebration in her school, I found myself along with many parents in St Therese of Lisieux School, Ingleby Barwick looking forward to the opportunity to ‘really experience the Holy Spirit in the children’s performance’. We were certainly not disappointed.
A crescendo of drums and some very contemporary dance gave way to a presentation of the children’s own creation, choreography and performance; a presentation of astonishing breadth and depth. ‘What we want you to see and hear is the message of ‘Love in Truth‘ said the narrator, ‘something which cannot be contained in words‘. Having attended several of the ‘Love in Truth’ workshops for adults, I was fascinated to find out what the children made of Pope Benedict’s far-sighted and comprehensive yet notoriously ‘heavy’ encyclical. It didn’t take long to find out.
Where we poor adults struggled with the text and how it applies to our lives, the children showed it transcendence across all they study and all they do, letting ‘God be God’ in all they do as Meister Eckhart would have said. Or, as the narrator stated simply, ‘putting it into action’.
There was singing in tongues, liturgical dance, celebration, and real catechesis (‘Love and Truth depend upon each other‘, ‘Justice cannot be separated from Love‘, and ‘All of us should want the Common Good‘ to quote but a few key points). There was ecumenism too, with a joyful presentation based on Martin Luther King’s teaching ‘My Life will be a beacon in this world‘.
A lovely child-centred idea – changing ‘I can’t do it!’ to ‘I can’t do it yet’ – struck a real chord with both the parents and the very youngest of the children. Delightfully simple, very memorable and incredibly assertive and positive.
A presentation by the creative expression group showing how the children’s spirituality was expressed through creative writing, music and artwork seemed to take away even the breath of the teacher, Maria Baines. Explaining one project’s brief, to show Love in artwork, she referred at one point to the children’s ‘genius’. It wasn’t an exaggeration. ‘Love has lots of different ingredients‘ a child explained, ‘and these have to be mixed which is why the artwork is round.’ ‘Rather than just a love heart’, Maria added. It reminded me of the great Celtic artworks where the circle represents God and the interconnectivity of all things. ‘We decide to plait‘, said one child ‘because God is Love and the Holy Trinity is in the three parts of the plait.‘
This wonderful celebration at St Therese of Lisieux School was a credit to all concerned. What a treat!
Brian Dowd
Keys to the Love in Truth display
Bright colours = joy and enthusiasm
Rich fabrics = passion
Mirrors = God loves us just the way we are. You have to face truth
Feathers = Love floats like a feather.
Jewels = glimmers of hope
Butterfly = truth and freedom. The truth sets us free. It is beautiful.
River = peace, tranquility.
One Comment
I was very pleased to read the article about the post pentecost event at St Therese of Lisieux school. How wonderful to know that The Holy Spirit is being allowed to move mightily within this school.
How I wished that I had been there to experience this event.
I would have loved to have heard the children singing in tongues!
I was not aware of any catholic school, or church, in the Middlesbrough diocese allowing the gift of tongues to operate freely in this way. Amazing!!!
The headteacher Mrs Sowa, is obviously allowing the Holy Spirit to have His way.
I pray that Gods power and anointing be poured out in all the schools and churches in the Middlesbrough diocese and beyond.
Patricia Frewin.