Bishop Thomas Grant School – Students Venerate the Relics of St Bernadette
5th January 2023On Wednesday 19 October 2022, students from Bishop Thomas Grant School ventured to St George’s Cathedral to participate in the St Bernadette Relic Tour. Students arrived to find a cathedral full of worshippers who also wanted to share in this journey on pilgrimage. The 12:30 Mass celebrated the life and faith of St Bernadette and then students proceeded to venerate the relics. This mini pilgrimage was a wonderful opportunity to bear active witness to our faith and to feel the spiritual effects of being in the presence of the beautiful reliquary. The day ended with a picnic lunch in the gardens of the Imperial War Museum and an impromptu recitation of the Pater Noster!
Some student reflections:
“It was definitely quite overwhelming and you could ‘feel’ the presence of the relics. Genuflecting in front of the relics seemed much more impactful compared to a standard Mass – a very special moment of respect and importance.” Clarissa, Year 10
“I felt proud to be a part of such an interconnected community.” Emily, Year 8
“The relics themselves were beautiful, and you could feel that they radiated a spiritual energy… I felt they connected to something that was deep inside of me.” Mikolaj, Year 8
“The relic was beautiful and it was even better knowing this was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me.” Ines, Year 9
“I felt very honoured to be there and to see the relics.” Kacper, Year 8
“I absolutely loved seeing and getting close to the actual relics, I only thought we were going to see it from afar not up close but we did and it left me stunned. It was a big deal for me, I’m very familiar with St. Bernadette and so getting close to her relics was amazing.” Valeska, Year 9
“When I was only one person away from the relics, I could hardly hold my excitement from the thought that I could go and see them in person, half a meter away from me. I also got the thrilling opportunity to touch the glass. That was a very special moment for me.” Josh, Year 7
