This is the name of one school in two locations, Merrickville and Kemptville, ON. No CND has ever lived or taught in either of these towns. The name surprised us enough to ask to be invited to visit. Denise Bérubé and I went to the Merrickville location on Friday, Dec. 1. We brought along some treasures we hoped would help staff and students get to know Marguerite better.
What an unexpected treat for us! We were welcomed so warmly. The ‘directrice’ looked over the material which included a statue of Marguerite that Denise was offering. She enthusiastically and gratefully accepted the whole package… both French and English material.
Christmas cards, pageants, songs and decorations usually portray the same mix of people, angels and animals in an attempt to create visual images of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem two thousand years ago. The story never gets old. The familiar sounds and sights of the feast stir up deep memories. We need to see it and hear it again every year. The Nativity set gets taken down from the attic, dusted off, carefully unwrapped and arranged often in the same way year after year.
Notre Dame de Bon Secours, Pray for us.
The meeting was held at Sakura no Seibo Junior College, Marguerite Building, and was attended by 31 administrators from Sakura no Seibo Gakuin, Meiji Gakuen, Margarita Kindergarten and Provincial Leader, Sister Shizuko Endo. The keynote lecture, “The Educator—Sign of and Agent of Hope” was given by Sister Patricia Simpson, CND. She painted a picture of Marguerite’s life from being a sign and then an agent of hope. After the lecture there were meetings in groups designated by duties, and then a general meeting where further discussions were held with input from the various schools. These discussions were significant in that they exceeded individual schools and created a spirit of collaboration. It has been 5 years since the three schools met together and it was an opportunity to see how we are united through our mission statement. The workshop meeting came to a close with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Martin Tetsuo Hiraga, Sendai diocese, and his homily which encouraged us all in our educational mission