On the morning of Friday 22nd May, our school community gathered together in Croí na Scoile for a beautiful prayer service and assembly celebrating the life of St Madeleine Sophie Barat, whose feast day is celebrated on 25th May.
The prayer service was led by Ms Horan, who guided pupils through the celebration with warmth and reverence. We were also honoured to welcome Sr Mary Shiel as our esteemed guest for this very special occasion.
The girls took part with great enthusiasm throughout the service. Pupils read confidently and thoughtfully, helping everyone learn more about the inspiring life of St Madeleine Sophie and her dedication to education, kindness, and faith.
The prayer service began with the song One Little Candle, beautifully sung by the girls from Fifth and Sixth Class, who also performed A Mhuire Mháthair at the conclusion of the service. The choir was ably directed by Ms Travers and accompanied by Ms McCabe, adding greatly to the reflective and prayerful atmosphere.
Through readings and acting, the girls retold the story of Madeleine Sophie Barat’s life from her childhood in France, to the founding of the Society of the Sacred Heart, and the spread of Sacred Heart schools across the world, including Ireland.
A special thank you goes to the pupils from 1st Class and 4th Class who read the readings so beautifully during the service. Their clear and expressive reading helped bring the story to life for everyone gathered.
We were also delighted to see the wonderful artwork and illustrations created by Ms McHugh’s class. The pictures beautifully reflected important moments from the life of St Madeleine Sophie and added colour and meaning to our celebration.
During the service, pupils reflected on how we can follow Sophie Barat’s example in our daily lives by:
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treating others kindly and respectfully,
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loving and honouring God,
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accepting one another,
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and always thinking of others
Being that we are in the month of May, known as the Month of Mary, the service concluded with A Prayer to St Madeleine Sophie, the Hail Mary, and the hymn A Mhuire Mháthair. Together we prayed our Sacred heart prayer “O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place all our trust in You.”
It was a very special morning of prayer, reflection, music, and community spirit. We are proud to continue the Sacred Heart tradition and to celebrate the values that St Madeleine Sophie Barat lived by every day.
Sacred Heart Ethos