Diamond Jubilee Celebration – St. Joseph’s School, Tulla, 12th of September, 2025
What a fantastic Jubilee Celebration we have today as the school celebrates 75 years since the founding by the sisters of Mercy in 1950.
I love the way natural elements are chosen to give the sense of the magnitude of a particular celebration. Silver 25, Ruby 40, Golden 50, Diamond 75. Diamond of the hardest and most valuable substances on the face of the earth. The cutting edge of a diamond!
Jubilee 2025
The term Jubilee in religious terms in the bible has all the connotations of taking a break, resting the land and making time for celebrations, party, fiesta, a time of enjoyment.
This year 2025 we are all familiar with the term jubilee as we are in a jubilee year. Every 25 years we enter into that party mode of celebrating in a prolonged way the message of Christmas, the great event of the birth of Jesus. This particular jubilee year has the great theme of hope attached to it.
Hope is one of the great elements of our faith that we call virtues or good things. The trilogy or hat trick of them being faith, hope and love. The great St. Paul reminds us that Christian hope does not disappoint us. God is good. God is with us. On our side all the way.
Hope
Speaking of hope – just imagine back to 75 years ago to the small group of enthusiastic, dedicated, brave, visionary Mercy sisters and close local collaborators and teachers who started up this school here in in the wind swept hill of Tulla. Cnoc na Gaoithe!
- Just imagine the hope that was in their hearts.
- I am imagining the great hope that is the hearts and minds of the current leaving certs of 2026 that will leave here full of potential next year.
- I am imaging the hope that is in the minds of the principal Juliet and all the staff as they envisage passing on the ethos of this great establishment to generations yet to come.
Hopes of past present and future brought together in this weekend of Diamond jubilee celebrations.
Motto
I love the motto surrounding the crest on the back page of your booklet.
Be the best you can be…
Last week I was on retreat beside the sea in a beautiful place in Mullaghmore in Sligo and the director of the retreat was the renowned Jesuit Fr. Peter McVerry who has spent his life working for the poor on the streets in inner city Dublin. He spoke of the founder of his order St. Ignatius of Loyola who always tried to get more out of his followers and to push them to the limit of what they were capable of. The key word for St. Ignatius and his followers is the Latin term magis meaning “more” or “greater”. This concept, central to Ignatian spirituality, encourages a striving for God’s greater glory and a deeper, more passionate life of service, rather than settling for mediocrity.
Like a trainer of a team, like the director of the choir – striving for perfection. Winning the Harty Cup. The best at the Fleadh. Realising your potential. Bringing out the best out of yourself. Be the best you can be. The guiding light for students here in St. Josephs.
Logo, School Crest
The school crest or logo captures the imagination also and the emphasis on the broad and well rounded education on offer hear in St. Josephs.
- A Cross – The Faith tradition.
- A Book – The emphasis on the academic.
- A Hurley and Sliotar – The importance of Sport.
- The Fiddle – Music and Culture, so renowned here in Tulla and East Clare.
All values at the heart of this great school and realised year in, year out every day of the school year.
Religious Ethos
Just to dwell for a moment on the great and significant religious tradition of St. Joseph’s. I note on the school website the school is built on the founding vision of Catherine McAuley, the founder of the Mercy Sisters emphasising:
- the dignity and rights of the human person,
- empowering the most vulnerable in society and
- enabling young people to become catalysts for social transformation throughout the world.
St. Joseph’s, it continues, is committed to promoting
- inclusion,
- generosity of spirit,
- excellence and compassion
in a teaching and learning environment inspired by the Gospel and by the unique wisdom of its founder. It tries to live the values of Christ, it encourages participation in the Sacraments and it seeks to instil in its community a desire to reach out to those in spiritual, personal and physical need.
I know that ethos is still very strong here because I’m always impressed to see the St. Joseph’s presence at any of our diocesan youth events, Taizé, Lourdes, World Youth Day, John Paul II awards and other events and activities.
A Walk Through Time
I love in the advertisement for this occasion and the festivities of the weekend “A Walk through Time” where we hear the good news that “The school continues to be guided by the CEIST values of faith, inclusivity, respect, and community, serving generations of families in East Clare.”
Mercy
In this banner county what a great banner it is to have as a guiding light for education going forward, that of the ideal of Mercy. Trócaire. Misericordiae. Pieta.
I’m reminded of the definition of God that the great trappist monk, contemplative and social activist Thomas Merton often used in summing up what the Christian God was in essence. The Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit being Mercy, within Mercy, within Mercy.
May that beautiful vision of Mercy, Trócaire of Catherine McAuley, the founding sisters of this school be in the minds and hearts of everyone who walks through the gates here.
Heartiest congratulations and well done to all involved in the great diamond jubilee celebration here this weekend.
Patronage of St. Joseph
May the Mercy ethos of love and compassion and respect continue into the future and may all associated with the school be under the kindly fatherly protection of the patron St. Joseph.
Mother Catherine McAuley and St. Joseph pray for us. Amen!