When I was growing up in Hamilton, ON Catholic Schools were quite an elite group. You had to pay for your children to attend a Catholic high school. Of course my older sisters both attended, apparently my parents ran out of money when I got to that point. I do remember the whole city coming to a complete halt, when it was the Marian Day Parade. The Catholic High Schools would do a huge Marian Day Celebration at what is now Ivor Wynne Stadium. Traffic would be re-routed, parking was limited and you would just walk. The buzz equaled that of the Ti- Cats at their peak. The Cathedral Girls School would do the Living Rosary. At the end of this beautiful prayer the stadium would sing wonderful hymns and crown Mary with a crown of flowers.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_crowning. I don't know when this actually stopped in Hamilton, probably when we got public funding. We then had to be politically correct and let boys into the girls school and vise versa. One of the things we lost as a faith community in our funding deal. I know that the honoring of Mary the Mother of Jesus has not gone out of fashion as a matter of fact, one of the gardening newsletters I read had quite a article in it, with names of particular flowers that were inspired by Our Lady. The students at our elementary school planted a Mary Garden.
This Sunday at Mass the Legion of Mary Crowned Mary during our service. Many of the parishes in Toronto still do a Marian Day Parade, nothing as grand as Hamilton but none the less a wonderful celebration. I always feel we should honour our mothers not just on Mother's Day but everyday, so too I hope we as catholics will remember Our Mother in Heaven. A few days ago Leslie wrote about music. A song by Amy Grant called Breath of Heaven always makes me feel great. Check it out.
During the ongoing controversy of Catholic Education once again fingers are pointed at the waste of Catholic Schools. Let's remember that waste occurs everywhere, not just at "Catholic Boards" we just happen to notice it more, or so it seems. As a person who missed out, I have spent my adult years trying to catch up to the education my sisters got at the Catholic High School. It would certainly be economical to eliminate Catholic Schools, or so we are told. Dig a little deeper to be sure you are aware of the reason Catholic Schools exist. It really is a significant historical journey, not necessarily one of faith, but certainly one of commitment. I suppose I feel so strongly about this because I missed out, I made sure my children didn't. I don't know that it matters to them at the moment, but it will when they are dads. I'm sure of it. Keep the Faith.
This Sunday at Mass the Legion of Mary Crowned Mary during our service. Many of the parishes in Toronto still do a Marian Day Parade, nothing as grand as Hamilton but none the less a wonderful celebration. I always feel we should honour our mothers not just on Mother's Day but everyday, so too I hope we as catholics will remember Our Mother in Heaven. A few days ago Leslie wrote about music. A song by Amy Grant called Breath of Heaven always makes me feel great. Check it out.
During the ongoing controversy of Catholic Education once again fingers are pointed at the waste of Catholic Schools. Let's remember that waste occurs everywhere, not just at "Catholic Boards" we just happen to notice it more, or so it seems. As a person who missed out, I have spent my adult years trying to catch up to the education my sisters got at the Catholic High School. It would certainly be economical to eliminate Catholic Schools, or so we are told. Dig a little deeper to be sure you are aware of the reason Catholic Schools exist. It really is a significant historical journey, not necessarily one of faith, but certainly one of commitment. I suppose I feel so strongly about this because I missed out, I made sure my children didn't. I don't know that it matters to them at the moment, but it will when they are dads. I'm sure of it. Keep the Faith.
1 comment:
I am really enjoying your blogs Ms. Irenka, but I must clarify - one of your sisters (that being me) only attended grade 9 at a Catholic school and the other attended grade 12 and 13. You, I suspect, didn't attend because you registered in the Commercial course and the Catholic schools did not provide that stream "years ago". Yes, I too, loved watching and participating in the Marian Day Parade and Bishop Ryan High School also was part of the Living Rosary. I was fortunate to be one of the beads of the Hail Mary's in May, 1966. While I still value the priviledge of a Catholic education, I think the values really start at home because a leopard really does not change its stripes just by going to a Catholic environment.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, I look forward to reading these every evening and feel robbed if you don't post something that day. Love, your sister Alice.
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