On Monday, 5th December Mrs Joan Kedward and Fr Wayne Coughlin (both Guardians of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Bedford) visited St Thomas More Catholic School, Brickhill to rededicate the school’s Marian Home Shine.
The assembly began with a lovely introduction from the school’s Lay Chaplain, Mrs Helen Burgess and beautiful Advent prayers led by two students. Joan then spoke movingly about how Jesus gave His own mother to be our mother (John 19:25-27) and how Our Lady, out of concern for her children, has appeared throughout human history in different places across the world, including Mexico in 1531, to bring consolation at times of conflict, to call people to repentance, to bring anew the healing gifts of her Son to the world.
Each of the Year Seven secondary school students were invited to offer a prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe as they passed the Home Shrine. On 12th December – the Memorial of Our Lady of Guadalupe – students will come to the Prayer Room in the school to have a closer look at the Home Shrine and to spend time in prayer before it.
The assembly concluded with the rededication of the Home Shrine by Fr Wayne. Joan and Fr Wayne thanked St Thomas More Catholic School and particularly Helen and Mr Martin Bonner (the Head Teacher) for their invitation and for the warmth of welcome that was extended to them. Joan, in her capacity as Bedford Schools Liaison Officer for the Guardians of Our Lady of Guadalupe, has sent letters to St John Rigby Catholic School and St Joseph and Gregory’s Catholic School offering for her and Fr Wayne to pay a similar visit and to rededicate their Home Shrine.