Our Lady 125th anniversary and Mercy Day celebration

Our Lady of Mercy students and teachers gather together to celebrate the school community and their long history. Photo supplied

DELORAINE’S OUR Lady of Mercy Catholic School celebrated its 125th Anniversary on Thursday 24 September as part of celebrations held for Mercy Day.

Mercy Day is the day on which Catherine McAuley first opened the House of Mercy in Ireland and dedicated it to Mary, Our Lady of Mercy.

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School was established by the Sisters of Mercy in 1895, in what was a local hotel opposite the Holy Redeemer Church

The school has been providing a Catholic education to families in the Meander Valley region for the last 125 years.

The Sisters of Mercy ran the school for 100 years, from 1895 to 1995, when the first lay principal was appointed.

Throughout its history, the school has catered for students from kindergarten through to today’s HCS equivalent.

Whilst the current school teaches Kinder to Grade 6 students, it also welcomes families of children from birth to five years who attend the Curious Kids sessions on Monday and Thursday mornings.

The day’s celebrations commenced with Mass. This was then followed by guest speakers sharing their memories, stories and experiences of the school from the 1930s through to the 2000s.

Students then participated in rotational ‘olden day’ activities including calligraphy, marching, hopscotch, egg and spoon, and sack races, and had a sausage sizzle lunch.

It was a wonderful day of celebration. It is hoped that past and present members of the school community will be able to come together and celebrate once restrictions for COVID-19 allow this to occur.