Celebrating our Feast Day

On Thursday 21 November, our school community gathered to commemorate Community Feast Day, a special occasion honouring our founder, Abbé Louis Lafosse, and the Religious of Christian Education (RCE) order he established.

This year marks the 207th anniversary of the RCE, a significant milestone since the day in 1817 when four young women, led by Mother Marie-Anne Dutertre, took their vows. The choice of this date was deliberate, coinciding with the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Mother. The RCE Sisters saw this as an auspicious moment to dedicate themselves to God and the education of young girls. Their unwavering commitment to girls' education led to the founding of Farnborough Hill in 1889.

To honour this rich history, the day's events included a solemn blessing of the Sisters' graves, a thought-provoking Mass, and engaging entertainment that shed light on the life of Abbé Louis Lafosse. We reflected on his inspiring message to embrace life with joy and wholeheartedness and paid tribute to the RCE Sisters who have served Farnborough Hill. Many of these dedicated women have now moved away from Farnborough, but continue to pray for us from afar.

The School community was honoured to receive most generous gifts of chocolates and treats from the Sisters in commemoration of their Feast Day and we were so pleased to hear that they were equally delighted to receive beautiful flowers and cards, hand crafted by each Form.

November, a month traditionally dedicated to remembering the departed in the Catholic Church, offers an opportunity to honour our own history. As is customary, priests and communities visit cemeteries to bless graves and pray for the souls of the faithful departed. We are fortunate at Farnborough Hill to have many RCE Sisters laid to rest in our grounds. These women, who were instrumental in shaping our school into the exceptional institution it is today, deserve our enduring gratitude and remembrance.