Local Tipperary school hosts wide array of Christmas festivities

URSULINE CHRISTMAS CAROL SERVICE

The roof was raised on the Cathedral of the Assumption on Tuesday, December 16, with festive music and song, rising up to the rafters with the Ursuline Christmas Carol Service.

St Angela’s Primary School Choir, both Ursuline Secondary School Choirs, Cecilian and Chamber, members of the Ursuline Senior Orchestra, Thurles Community Orchestra and musicians and soloists from St Angela’s Academy of Music provided a spectacular evening of Christmas classics.

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Donations received on the night amounted to a whopping €3000 thanks to the generosity of the congregation.

The mass opened with a candlelight rendition of Jerusalem and finished with a soaring all ensemble, up-beat version of Go Tell it on the Mountains. In between there were many other seasonal favourites such as Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Oh Holy Night and Silent Night.

There were prayers and poems interspersed among the beautiful music.

All money raised on the night was donated to the Cathedral fund ‘In Our Hands’ and a cheque was presented to Ursuline Chaplin Fr Jim Purcell on Thursday, December 18, by Sr Berchmans of the Ursuline Community and Principal of the Ursuline Secondary School, Ms Tríona Gleeson.

Thanks to all conductors, musicians, readers and singers who made the Ursuline Christmas Carol Service a night to remember.

URSULINE CHRISTMAS MASS OF THE GIFTS

On Thursday afternoon, 18 December the Ursuline had its annual Christmas mass, known as the Mass of the Gifts, in the Cathedral of the Assumption.

As Fr Jim Purcell, School Chaplain, pointed out, it is an important day in the life of the Secondary School.

The mass was beautifully prepared by the teachers of the Religious Education Department and enhanced by wonderful Christmas hymns, provided by the Cecilian Choir, with accompanying music by the Orchestra.

In his homily Fr Jim reminded the assembly that the crib is the centerpiece of Christmas because at the heart of Christmas is the child Jesus born in a stable in Bethlehem.

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He told the congregation that the God of the wise men is a big God but is visible in the face of a small baby and that God who came to live among us calls each one to bigness of heart.

He also asked those present to spare a thought for others for whom Christmas is difficult due to loneliness or grief. Many thanks to the students of the Ursuline who were involved in so many ways from processions, to readings, to playing instruments, to singing and of course to the First Year students for their beautiful movement by candlelight to the hymn Silent Night, a long held school tradition for the Mass of the Gifts.

LAST DAY OF TERM CHRISTMAS FUN

Thanks to the Fifth Year School Councillors of the Ursuline Secondary School who organised a variety style show of fun, lip synching, TikToking and sketches for the final half day of term on Friday, December 19.

There were Smurfs, gold lamé clad pigs from the film Sing, there was a teacher vs student Christmas cookie eating contest, a Guess the Student competition which saw the two deputy principals, Ms Tuohy and Mr Kirby, go head to head, a mash-up from High School Musical, lots of funny skits and the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas, organised by Ms Flanagan and Ms Butler.

Fifth Years certainly sent everyone off for the holidays in flying form so well done to them and their Year Head, Ms Frend, for the enormous effort they put in to making it a great Christmas hurrah.