Bishop John Sherrington celebrated a Mass of thankgiving for the many years of service of Sr Hannah Dwyer as head teacher at Larmenier and Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School in Brook Green.
In his homily, Bishop John reflected on Sr Hannah's vocation as a sister of Nazareth, 'which invites us to reflect on Jesus' hidden life in Nazareth as the foundation of learning and growth.' Speaking of Jesus' childhood, he said, 'He would have learnt from his mother Mary and from those around him and grown in his love of God.'
Continuing to reflect on the similarities, Bishop John said, 'The task of the teacher in Catholic education is to help each child to develop his or her gifts, to grow in wisdom and stature and favour before God as a friend of Jesus and as his follower.
'Whilst we might measure literacy, numeracy and attainment in other subjects, they remain always partial; growth in wisdom and favour of God is much deeper, more important and difficult to quantify.
'This cannot easily be measured yet we see its effects in the fruits of the Holy Spirit and the living out of the commandment of love, especially as schools engage in projects with people who are poor and vulnerable.
'More properly the task of the teacher is to help children to become saints.'
Alluding to the silver award of the Pearson Teaching Award she recently received, Bishop John continued, 'Sr Hannah has never been content with second best. Through her positions of leadership and teaching, she has dedicated her life so that the children in her school have been given every opportunity to develop along the path to sainthood. This is the dignity of the teaching vocation.
'Sr Hannah has taken the Lord's yoke upon herself, followed his path, committed herself to the Lord as a religious woman and desired to imitate him every day of her life. Imitating Jesus who knows each one by name, she has undertaken to seek the growth of each child in a gentle and humble way following the example of her Master.
'In this way each child must be led so as to develop their gifts and become the precious person God wants them to be. Loving each child is the key to this achievement.
'This is not the vocation of the teacher but especially the Head-teacher who prepares her staff to assume responsibility and ultimately like a midwife brings to birth new deputies and Heads in their own right. Succession is essential for the continuation of the handing of the mission.
He concluded by thanking God 'for the gifts which He has given to Sr Hannah and her dedicated response to commit herself as a faithful witness to Christ for the good of all under her leadership, staff and pupils, as well as her generous gift to the wider good of Catholic education, especially in this diocese.'
At the end of Mass, Domenic McGonagal, Chair of the Board of Governors paid tribute to Sr Hannah's tireless devotion to each of her pupils and staff.
In her turn, Sr Hannah welcomed all who had come to join her in the celebration and spoke of her joy and thanks for the community of Larmenier and Sacred Heart.
Joining in the celebration were the Sisters of Nazareth as well as Sisters of the Sacred Heart, current and past pupils and their parents, current and past teachers at the school, and many from the parish of Brook Green.
As she goes on to the next phase of her ministry, Sr Hannah will continue her work with the Diocesan Education Commission.
