The Irish Times - Saturday, August 20, 2011.

FR AIDAN Lehane, who has died aged 85, held senior administrative and teaching positions at all five Spiritan (Holy Ghost) colleges in Ireland – Rockwell, Blackrock, St Michael’s, St Mary’s, Rathmines and Templeogue.

Born in Clontarf in 1926, he attended O’Connell School before being enrolled as a boarder at Willow Park, Blackrock. From there he went to Blackrock College where he quickly discovered that neither science nor mathematics were his “thing”. However, he developed a lifelong love of English literature, and PG Wodehouse and Gerard Manley Hopkins were particular favourites.

He enjoyed sports, particularly rugby, and twice won junior cup medals. Scrum half in 1941, in 1942 he captained the side playing at centre. He enjoyed cup success with the senior team in 1943, but was on the losing side in 1944.

However, he captained the Leinster schoolboys’ team which won the interprovincial series that year. He also played for the college tennis team. Having completed his Leaving Cert he entered the novitiate at Kilshane, and studied philosophy at Kimmage Manor and UCD. He graduated with a BA (hons) in 1948 and followed this with an MA in English literature in 1949.

He taught for two years, from 1950 to 1952, at St Mary’s, Rathmines, obtaining the HDip Ed in 1951. For the next four years he studied theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He thoroughly enjoyed his time in Italy, mixing study with playing rugby for a local club. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1955 and expected to be assigned to missionary work. Instead he was appointed to the teaching staff of Rockwell College, Co Tipperary. He immediately felt at home in what was then Munster’s leading rugby school, and spent 17 happy years there. He was college president from 1968 to 1974.

He next attended the University of Toronto, pursuing a doctoral programme in education administration, and was awarded a PhD in 1977. He was appointed to Blackrock, where he was president.

He taught at St Michael’s for nine years, from 1983, after which he took a sabbatical at Stanford University, California. There he felt privileged to meet the philosopher René Girard, described as the “most compelling Catholic thinker of the age”.

He served as manager of St Michael’s from 1994 to 1998. He moved to Templeogue College 12 years ago and served as chairperson of the BOM and subsequently as President of the College. He also became chairperson of Sandymount School, a non-denominational mixed school under the aegis of Enable Ireland, which caters for children with a physical disability.

He is survived by his Holy Ghost confreres and sisters Daire Downes and Leonie Gaffney, brothers-in-law Joseph and Maurice and nieces and nephews.

Aidan Lehane C.S.Sp.: born August 7th, 1926; died August 8th, 2011.

Back to top.

Trócaire are running a Human rights summer school for all 16 to 18 year olds. It takes place in Dublin City university from July 4th to 8th .

Each student is asked to pay a nominal fee of €50.00 which includes full board and lodgings. If any school is interested applications must be made by May 20th
For further information please click on the link opposite for a PDF brochure or visit www.trocaire.org

Back to top.

Following last year's successful pilgrimage to Paris to discover and visit the places in Paris associated with the two founders of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit another group took part from 14th to 18th April 2011.

Our group of 12 pilgrims was made up of teachers, chaplains, principals and chairpersons of Boards of Management from our different Spiritan schools in Ireland. We stayed in the Mother House of the Congregation and had the opportunity of visiting the work of the Auteuil Foundation which is an educational apostolate of our French Province (www.fondation-auteuil.org). We took time to tour the first houses of the young Spiritan community founded by Poullart des Places in 1703 and to pray in the room where Francis Libermann died. Our guide in Paris was Paul Grasser, a French Spiritan priest who worked as a missionary in Mauritania.

On October 3rd 1993, the day after the feast day of Poullart des Places, Paul and another Spiritan were attacked in their mission by a deranged fundamentalist - both were severely injured and Paul lost his arm. Paul and his brother Spiritan continue to pray for Hadrami their aggressor who because of his mental illness has been rejected by his family and his village.

Marc Whelan C.S.Sp.

Back to top.

A warm welcome to all attending our first ever Spiritan Youth Day on the 7th of April at the D4 Hotel, Ballsbridge. Our chosen theme echoes the Spiritan core values and invites us to believe, belong and become.

What we believe centers around our core values of Openness to the Spirit and our Sense of Community. A sense of belonging is developed from our Concern for the Poor, our Commitment to Service and our Global Vision. Our ability to become all that we have been called to be is nurtured by our High Educational Standards together with our Personal and Faith Development.

This is a day for all Transition Year students encouraging them to believe in themselves and each other as well as entering into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We believe in the precious Spiritan legacy that has been nurtured and handed on for the past 150 years in Ireland and wish to illuminate for students that belonging to this community and playing an active role in the handing on of its legacy is a very honourable position to be in.

The Spiritan Youth Day is about cherishing our belief, celebrating our belonging and inspiring each other to realise our full human potential, to become all that we are called to be. We invite everyone to participate and engage wholeheartedly with the programme of the day.

Back to top.

File format: Adobe Reader PDF
File size: 1.10mb

Details of the 2011-2012 Tóraíocht Programme (Post-graduate Diploma in Educational Leadership) for Primary & Post-primary teachers have been announced.

Tóraíocht aims to enhance participants’ current work and to support their preparation for future senior leadership and management positions. It aims to develop the knowledge, understanding, attitudes and skills required for successful modern school leadership.

The programme is delivered through a blended model of facilitated sessions and on-line workshops in parallel with individual and group projects and presentations. It will be presented, subject to sufficient applicants, over one academic year between September 2011 and June 2012 in the following centres:

NUI Maynooth and Education Centres in Castlebar, Drumcondra, Kilkenny and Tralee.

For further information please click on the brochure link opposite.

Back to top.

File format: Adobe Reader PDF
File size: 1.00mb

Congratulations to Rockwell SCT on winning the Munster Cup and to Blackrock JCT on winning the Leinster Cup.

Rockwell College overcame PBC 9-3 to win the the Avonmore Munster Senior schools cup in Musgrave Park. Blackrock College won the Powerade Leinster Schools Junior Cup Final beating St. Michael's College 12-10.

Back to top.

The Des Places Education Association Senior Leadership Conference will take place at Faithlegg House Hotel, Waterford on the 3rd and 4th February 2011.

The conference schedule:

Back to top.

Francis Mary Paul Libermann was born in 1802 of Jewish family and was, himself, destined to become a rabbi like his father. But during his youth he became a Catholic and choose to become a priest. For this reason he was rejected by his father. Perhaps because of this rejection he developed epilepsy and his ordination was delayed by 10 years.

In the seminary he had two friends. Eugene Tisserant was from Haiti in the Caribbean and Frederic LeVavasseur was from Reunion island in the Indian Ocean. These friends spoke to Libermann of the plight of the newly freed slaves in their countries. Libermann was so moved by this story that he and his two friends spent the rest of their lives not only in service of the freed slaves from Africa but also of African people everywhere on the continent.

In 1848 Libermann joined his society to the Congregation of the Holy Spirit and so he is considered as the second founder of the Spiritans (Holy Ghost Fathers). Today over 3000 Spiritans work in international communities spread across the globe in the Mission of building up God’s reign of justice and peace in the world.

On the 2nd February 1852, Libermann died after a life time of service to the Mission of the Church.

Resources:

Please click on the link below to download a Prayer Service to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Francis Libermann.

• Libermann Prayer Service

Back to top.

The Des Places Education Association Middle Leadership Course will take place on Wednesday 2nd Feb in the Tara Towers Hotel, Mount Merrion at 4.00pm.

Session Topics - Emotional & Social Intelligence.

For further details please contact the DEA at 01 499 7610.

Back to top.

The resources for Catholic Schools Week 2011 (30th January – 5th February) are now ready to download.

Resource material includes suggestions for prayer, reflection on the Catholic traditions of the school, liturgical ideas for prayer and Eucharist, crosswords and quizzes. A special feature of this year’s resources will be a guided reflection on the Pastoral Letter of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI to the Catholics of Ireland.

Resources:

Click on links to download

• Catholic Schools Week 2011 - Liturgy
• Catholic Schools Week 2011 - Rooted in Jesus Christ
  
• Catholic Schools Week Flyer

Back to top.

Share the Good News – the first National Directory for Catechesis in Ireland – is a ten year plan for evangelisation,  catechesis and religious education.

Share the Good News – the first National Directory for Catechesis in Ireland – was launched on 6 January in the Mater Dei Institute of Education in Dublin by Cardinal Sean Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin, and Bishop Bill Murphy, Bishop of Kerry, Chairman of the Episcopal Council for Catechetics along with writer and editor Rev Dr Gareth Byrne.

Share the Good News is a ten year plan for evangelisation, for catechesis and for religious education in the Catholic Church in Ireland. It was written and edited by Dr Gareth Byrne. We offer our sincere congratulations to Dr Byrne, a past-pupil of St Mary’s College.

Share the Good News -  is available in Veritas shops throughout Ireland and on line at www.veritas.ie

For more information please visit – www.catholicbishops.ie

Comments of
Most Rev. Diarmuid Martin
Archbishop of Dublin, Primate of Ireland

Dublin Diocesan Library, 5th January 2011

The new National Directory for Catechesis in Ireland is published at a very significant moment in the life of the Church in Ireland. We are living in a time of great change in Irish religious culture and I believe that we have not yet faced the challenge of that change as fully as we should.

The place of faith education in schools is under scrutiny in a changing Ireland.  There are various contending voices and interest-groups, speaking often in a polarised way, and there is very little common reflection on what the right way forward should be.  I still believe that a broad National Forum on the future of education provision and the place of faith education in the Irish educational system would be of value.

For more details please click on the following link to our Faith section:

• www.desplaces.ie/catechesis.html

Back to top.

School of Education, Trinity College Dublin Educational Leadership and Managemen Continuous Professional Development Programme 2010/2011

The Division of Continuous Professional Development in the School of Education, Trinity College, offers a variety of stand-alone options for those interested in their own on-going professional development but who do not wish to undertake a degree or diploma course. The Educational Leadership and Management Programme for Spring 2011 provides short, non-degree awarding courses and talks from January to May 2011.

1. Leadership Series (February, March and April 2011)

Leading and managing schools in current times in Ireland is indeed a challenge but one that educational leaders must embrace in order to maintain a relentless commitment to improvement. It is a time to work together and to think outside the box. Hence the idea of the leadership talks.  It is planned to run a short series of monthly talks on Thursday nights 7pm to 9pm in the School of Education – once monthly in February, March and April.  The format will  include a forty-five minute presentation followed by refreshments and a thirty-minute discussion. Speakers will be invited from all walks of life in Ireland with the intention of looking at key educational issues from different perspectives and learning from others’ experiences.  See attached document or email helen.osullivan@tcd.ie for more details.

2. Continuous Professional Development Programme 2010/11

This programme consists of three stand alone, non-credit bearing courses each including 20 hours of direct contact time. Students will attend classes on two weekends - Friday night (6pm to 9pm) and all day Saturday (9am to 4pm). The courses will be delivered in the School of Education, Trinity College Dublin. The courses are:

1. Coaching and Mentoring for Professional Development in Education (Lecturer: Mr. Max Coates, Institute of Education, University of London).
2. Developing a School as a Professional Learning Community (Lecturer: Dr. Helen O’Sullivan, School of Education, Trinity College Dublin).

Equity and Excellence in Education  (Lecturer: Prof. John West-Burnham, St. Mary’s College Twickenham)
See attached document or email helen.osullivan@tcd.ie for more details.

Back to top.

Since early August 2010, Pakistan has been hit by devastating floods. These began in the river Kabul to the north-west and, in the Himalayas, in the upper reaches of the Indus river. As the rains - the worst since 1928 - continued with unprecedented ferocity, the 2,500 kilometre-long Indus burst its banks in many places, sweeping all before it, levelling houses mostly made of mud, and in some cases, sweeping whole villages away like matchsticks.

Apart from the mountains in the north, Pakistan is a very flat alluvial plane. As a result the water remains on the land for a long time. Even in the areas not flooded by the swollen rivers, the rainfall has been so intense and so prolonged that most of the agricultural land has been waterlogged and crops destroyed.
Most of the population work on the land, often as bonded labourers to the landlords who exercise a totally oppressive control over them. As a result of the floods, these labourers will have virtually no income and no work resulting in poverty and hunger. Unless massive help arrives, there is a very real threat of water-borne diseases; already cholera has been reported.
It is worth noting that:

• In those places where the Indus has burst its banks, about 5 million people have lost everything and have been reduced to total dependency on relief aid.
• The area under water is four times the size of Ireland.
• Over 1,600 people have died.
• Over 17 million people have lost their livelihood and 5 million are homeless.

The TV pictures show the suffering in the camps, but only a fraction of these who are homeless are in camps. Every day brings horrifying stories of people trying to find slightly higher ground where they simply gather and wait for help to arrive. Their plight will continue long after the rains subside and it may take years to re-build shattered lives and communities.

The Congregation of the Holy Spirit has been in Pakistan since 1977 working among the poor. John O’Brien C.S.Sp., who is based in Sindh - the province in the South which is most under threat from lingering floods even when the rains have eased - has spent some 25 years there. His main ministry is among the bonded agricultural labourers.

The family of each bonded labourer cultivates about 4-5 acres for a landlord and receives half the produce if they pay half the expenses, or a quarter if they don’t. Treated like medieval serfs, they can be bought and sold; most of them die in debt and the debt passes on to their sons. At the best of times, they have little; now at the worst of times, they have nothing at all.

Donations can be made to: Pakistan Flood Appeal, Bank of Ireland, College Green, Holy Ghost Fathers No 1. Account, Sort Code 90 – 00 – 17; Ac. No. 1708 7050.

Back to top.

Willow Park Junior School will celebrate the official opening of their new school building on Friday 7th May at 2.00 with a blessing by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin.

All images, this item, copyright Willow Park Junior School, 2010.

Back to top.

Without the constant effort and dedication shown by the staff, students, past pupils and parents of Holy Family Community School, Rathcoole, and indeed the wider community it would not have been possible to gain such a huge amount of money € 16,888 this year! So, on behalf of the school, it is with great pleasure and honour that we acknowledge their tremendous efforts. Sister Kathleen (co-ordinator) offered her sincere thanks to the hundreds of students who fasted, donated money, or supported concern in some other way. A special tribute also goes to all Transition Year students for their constant assistance in counting, lodging money, fundraising, and all the essential behind-the scene work.

The CONCERN CHRISTMAS FAST has been held annually since the school opened. Holy Family Community School see it as extremely important to try and emphasise and help the situation in the Developing world. Students are given the option to either undertake a 24hr or a 48hr fast, (the 1st Years do a sponsored silence) and collect sponsorship for this. Other fundraising events include collecting in the Square, Tallaght, bag packing, etc., staff carol singing, concert, raffles, and much more.

Holy Family Community School has been a remarkable aid in terms of raising money every Christmas without fail for CONCERN. The school consistently raised the largest amount of money in the country, and when asked why they continue to do such trojan work for CONCERN Sr Kathleen replied: “OUR EXERCISE IS NOT TO GAIN FAME, BUT RATHER TO SAVE LIVES IN OUR WORLD”

Back to top.

We are delighted to announce the results of our creative writing competition for poetry and essays in both junior and senior classes.  The competition proved enormously popular and has shown an immense level of creative ability at all levels.

Congratulations to all who entered, received commendation and won our competition.  Your ability to apply your creative talents will no doubt take you to further success.

Essays - Junior Schools

First:
Title:               The Day in the Life of the Missionary Priest, ‘Fr. Ringrose’
Author:          Jack Ringrose.
School:          Willow Park, Junior School

Back to top.

Second:
(a)
Title:               My School
Author:          Tim Maguire
School:          Willow Park, Junior School

(b)
Title:               A Day in the Life of a Missionary Priest.
Author:          Alexander Conlon
School:          St. Michael’s College, Junior School

Third:
(a)
Title:               How can We Help to Make the World a Better Place
Author:          Niall Lawler
School:          St. Michael College, Junior School

(b)
Title:               My School
Author:          Cian Buckley
School:          St. Mary’s College, Junior School

Back to top.

Commendation:
(a)
Title:               Letter to the President
Author:          Aidan Rock
School:          St. Mary’s College, Junior School

(b)
Title:               How to Make the World and Better Place
Author:          Patrick Celebi
School:          St. Michael’s College, Junior School

(c)
Title:               My School
Author:          David Green
School:          St. Mary’s College, Junior School

(d)
Title:               How to Make the World a Better Place
Author:          Daniel O’Brien
School:          St. Mary’s College, Junior School

(e)
Title:               A Perfect Day
Author:          Eamonn Byrne
School:          St. Mary’s College, Junior School.

Poetry – Junior Schools

First:
(a)
Title:               My School
Author:          David Green
School:          St. Mary’s College, Junior School

(b)
Title:               My School
Author:          Sam Griffin
School:          St. Michael’s College, Junior School

(b)
Title:               The Seven Gifts
Author:          Declan O’Sullivan
School:          Willow Park Junior School

Back to top.

(b)
Title:               Together as One
Author:          James Aiken
School:          St. Michael’s College, Junior School

(b)
Title:               My Hero
Author:          Peter O’Beirne
School:          St. Michael’s College, Junior School

Back to top.

(b)
Title:               A Perfect Day
Author:          Andrew McDermott
School:          St. Mary’s College, Junior School

(b)
Title:               My Hero
Author:          Sean Daly
School:          St. Michael’s College, Junior School

Back to top.

(b)
Title:               Good to Bad
Author:          Liam Shaw
School:          St. Michael’s College, Junior School

(c)
Title:               (Untitled) 1st Line: Winter is finally here
Author:          Harry McIntyre
School:          St. Michael’s College, Junior School

(d)
Title:               My School
Author:          John Andreuccetti Reidy
School:         St. Mary’s College, Junior School

(e)
Title:               A Perfect Day
Author:          Aidan Fitzpatrick
School:          St. Mary’s College, Junior School

(f)
Title:               My School
Author:          Niall Lynch
School:          St. Mary’s College, Junior School

Back to top.

FIRST YEAR POETRY

First:
Author:          Daniel Stokett
Title:               Someday...
College:         St. Michael’s College

Back to top.

FIRST YEAR ESSAY

First:
(a)
Author:          Jack Taheny
Title:               A Climate for Change
College:         St. Michael’s College

(b)
Author:          Ronan McCague
Title:               Mission Impossible
College:         St. Michael’s College

Second:
(a)
Author:          Sean Reddy
Title:               Mission Impossible
College:          St. Michael’s College

(b)
Author:          Aaron Shanagher
Title:               Dear Mr. President.....
College:          St. Mary’s College

Third:
Author:          Michael Kinneen
Title:               People who Inspire Me
College:          St. Mary’s College

Back to top.

SECOND YEAR ESSAY

First (a)
Author:          Darragh Larkin
Title:               A Climate for Change
College:         Blackrock College

First (b)
Author:          Kyle Talbot
Title:               Mission Impossible
College:         St. Michael’s College

Second:
Author:          Oisín Flynn
Title:               Mission Impossible
College:         Blackrock College

Third:
Author:          Andrew Stringer
Title:               Mission Impossible
College:         St. Michael’s College.

Back to top.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

(a)
Author:          Cian Fitzgerald
Title:               People who Inspire Me
College:         St. Michael’s College

(b)
Author:          Conor O’Mara
Title:               How My School Makes a Difference
College:         St. Michael’s College

(c)
Author:          Evan Holland
Title:               Mission Impossible
College:         Blackrock College

(d)
Author:          Cian Reid
Title:               People Who Inspire Me
College:         St. Michael’s College

Back to top.

SECOND/THIRD YEAR POETRY

First:
(a)
Author:          Luke Harvey
Title:               A New Beginning
College:         Blackrock College

(b)
Author:          Simon Curran
Title:               A New Beginning
College:         Blackrock College

Second:
(a)
Author:           Kevin Heavey
Title:               Someday....
College:         Blackrock College.

(b)
Author:          David Kelly
Title:               Someday
College:         Blackrock College

Third:
Author:            Rowan Molony
Title:                A New Beginning
College:         Blackrock College

Back to top.

SENIOR ESSAY

First:
Author:          Jonathan McKeown
Title:               A Climate for Change
College:         Blackrock College

Second:
(a)
Author:          Michael Lockhart
Title:               Mission Impossible
College:         Blackrock College

(b)
Author:          Michael Murphy
Title:               The ‘Spirit’ of Life
College:         Blackrock College

Third:
Author:          Conor Duffy
Title:               Dear President.....
College:         St. Michael’s College.

Recently I put myself forward for the Faith Friends programme in my Spiritan School. I must admit I was not so sure about what I was actually getting myself into. Faith Friends is a peer ministry programme that entails five sessions with a 6th class group. Before that session the Transition year group have three training sessions with the Faith Development Officer. I was surprised and actually quite taken aback when I realised exactly what the programme was all about and what my role in it was. However, instead of walking away from it I stuck with it and now am really happy I did!

I got to meet lots of 6th form guys and I think that the programme will benefit all of us next year as we will be in the same school. Also I reckon that it will help them next year as first years to feel more at home and less anxious about their transition to senior school. They will already know senior students and we will help them settle in.

During the programme I had the chance to share my faith experiences with the 6th class group and help them prepare to celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation. I hope I have done this well. I think I did!

I think this experience as a mentor will benefit me greatly in my future life. Most of all I have learned a lot more about my own faith and I thought it was only going to be about the younger lads learning!  I really feel that this will be of great value to me in my life. Now that the programme has come to a close and we are finished our group work I am proud of my involvement and my courage to stay with it for the duration. I have learned a lot and hopefully have shared my own faith, oh, and been a friend!

Back to top.

Individual books for both junior and senior students telling the Spiritan story have just been published and will be available for all schools shortly.

For further information please contact Faith Development at faith@desplaces.ie.

Back to top.

From the 25th to 29th March a group of Spiritan educators from our schools will travel to Paris to follow in the footsteps of our founder Claude Poullard Des Places. The Spiritan mother house in Paris will host us for the duration and we hope to visit places of historical and educational interest. It will be the first of a series of Spiritan pilgrimages to the mother house to retrace the footsteps of our founders.

Back to top.

An evening of training for Spiritan Boards of Management took place in Kimmage on 25th February. Mr Fergus Dunne (FSSU/JMB) co presented with Mr. Garry Lyons (DEA) on ‘Financial Responsibilities and Accountability’. Marie Griffin (CEO Co Dublin VEC) presented on ‘Legislation and the role of the BOM’. Caroline Clarke (DEA) gave input on Corporate Governance & the role of the DEA. Orla Walsh ( DEA) & Fr. Marc Whelan spoke to the members about Spiritan Ethos and Faith development. Thanks to all BOM members for their ongoing commitment and hard work on behalf of Spiritan education.

Faith Friends is up and running in two of the Spiritan schools. A group of transition year boys from St Mary’s College and Blackrock College took on the challenge of working with the sixth class boys from their junior schools to support and mentor them in their celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Having completed three detailed training sessions the TY boys joined the sixth class pupils and embarked on a most courageous and fulfilling stage of their adult faith journey. The five sessions are based on the Veritas ‘You Shall be my Witness’ programme with ‘Belonging’, ‘ Believing’, ‘Being’, ‘Becoming’ and ‘Beginning Again’ as the weekly themes. The sixth class boys are delighted with themselves and thoroughly enjoying the interaction with the senior boys while the TY’s boys are both surprised and satisfied with their ability to share faith!

The programme is in its pilot phase and so the TY boy’s are not only facilitating the programme but reflecting on its effectiveness also.  Even in its early stages, Faith Friends is proving a hugely effective medium for peer ministry within Spiritan School communities.

On a gloriously sunny day in early September the new DEA Education offices were officially opened and blessed by Fr. Peter Conaty (DEA Chairman).
Over 100 guests attended the blessing, including many of our current students, parents, teachers, board members and senior management. Music was provided by an instrumental and choir ensemble from Templeogue College, followed later on by some relaxing jazz from senior students from St.Michael’s College.

Represented on the day were colleagues from other trust bodies & Education offices, Co.Dublin VEC, JMB/AMCSS, ACCS, LDS, SDPI and a large presence from the Spiritan community.

The occasion also marked ten years since the DEA was set up.