We at St Mary’s School (ICSE) in Mumbai, India, spent our morning assemblies in preparation for the Feast of St Ignatius of Loyola which spanned over two weeks.

The assemblies were held on his life to draw awareness and build a sense of spiritual connection among our students. The topics for the assemblies were:

● Ignatius – before his conversion Battle of Pampilona and Period of recovery
● St. Ignatius – A leader
● St. Ignatius – Quest for Excellence
● St. Ignatius – Spirit of Magis.

Our students reflected on the life of St Ignatius of Loyala by creating inspirational posters as well as thought of ways to embibe his values in their lives.

HOW CAN WE APPLY ST. IGNATIUS’ TEACHINGS IN OUR DAILY LIVES?

Needing no further introduction, St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, has undoubtedly bestowed several valuable teachings and moral qualities upon us. His life is a source of inspiration to people all around the globe. As we study the different aspects of St. Ignatius’ life, we discover new ways in which we can learn from his exploits and feats.

The most important thing that the life of St. Ignatius teaches us is that transformation is always possible. It is never too late to change your ways for the better, to turn over a new leaf, and rise from the ashes of your past. In much the same way that St. Ignatius transcended from a warrior to a saint, we can always be a better version of our past self.

Secondly, another thing we can learn is that we should never give up. We must not budge no matter what obstacle is thrown our way and trudge on to the end. From St. Ignatius’ character, we also glean that we must be kind, passionate and selfless. It doesn’t matter who is on the receiving end, it never hurts to assume a kind and compassionate persona. It also goes without saying that selflessness and kindness are better expressed through actions and not just words. St Ignatius is the embodiment of our school motto, “Immaculata” which translates to “perfect commitment”. We, too, must be perfectly committed to everything we do, no matter how minor. After all, commitment is the first step to perfection.

St. Ignatius of Loyola has left behind with us an incredible treasure trove of moral qualities. Truly, he is the perfect role model in all aspects. We must all inculcate these teachings and implement the same in our everyday lives. Thus, we must follow the footsteps of St. Ignatius and play the part of a dutiful member of society and create a positive impact on the people around us. This is the first step to leading a happy and content life.

– Adit Banerjee (Class 10)

IGNATIAN SPIRITUALITY – MORALS LEARNT FOR LIFE

St. Ignatius of Loyola was a man who’s life tells us great many morals and today, I want to write about one of the greatest traits of the saint who gave my school its motto, Immaculata.

St. Ignatius symbolized Perfect Commitment like no other. The Battle of Pamplona is a great example of this. St. Ignatius knew he was fighting a losing battle, yet fought on perfectly committed to the honor of his country, Spain. After the famous cannon ball incident and learning of the life of saints, St. Ignatius of Loyola lead a life of perfect commitment as a saint, forming the society which we are a part of today.

This trait of St. Ignatius of Loyola–among many others–we must inculcate within ourselves to live well-rounded, fulfilling lives. We must follow in St. Ignatius’ footsteps and show perfect commitment towards every task that we take on. Let it be academics, let it be sports, let it be even cleaning our room, any responsibility we take on, we must be fully and wholeheartedly committed to it.

St Ignatius has inspired me and I’m sure he has and he will inspire many others.

IGNATIUS LEAD US ON..

– Naman Divgi (Class 10)

FINDING God IN OUR LIVES – Posters by our budding creators.

AD MAJOREM DEI GLORIAM

On 29th July 2022, the eve of the Feast of the Jesuit Founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola, a morning assembly was presented by the students on ‘The Spirit of Magis’. The presentation emphasized that Magis is a powerful idea that goes beyond just doing more but striving for excellence with God’s help. The students attending the assembly learnt that ‘Knowing oneself and one’s purpose in life’, ‘Finding meaningful friendships’, ‘Finding the right mentor’ and ‘Doing everything for the Greater Glory of God and not Self Glory’ were some of the ways of achieving Magis. The assembly concluded with a prayer of St. Ignatius and a hymn.

CELEBRATING OUR JESUITS

A programme had been organised on 29th July,2022, in order to felicitate the Jesuit priests, on the occasion of the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

The Jesuit priests were welcomed by a guard of honour and were led to the school auditorium for the felicitation programme. They were greeted with a standing ovation by students and staff of the entire secondary section of the school.

The programme began with the lighting of the lamp by Fr.Callistus Menezes, Fr. Lawrence Farao and Fr. Sylvester D’Silva. This was followed by a video which highlighted the inspiring life of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the devoted work of the Jesuit priests, around the world. The video ended with a message that as a Jesuit institution, all Marians must uphold Jesuit values and the philosophy of ‘Magis’. This was followed by a graceful and elegant dance by students to a beautiful hymn.

The Jesuit priests were then presented with hand-made cards by the students of all classes. They were also presented a micro-wave oven from the school and management of St. Mary’s (I.C.S.E).

The programme ended with a soulful rendering of the Ignatian hymn, ‘NobleKnight’, by the school choir.

Fr. Lawrence Farao spoke on behalf of the Jesuit Fathers and Brothers present. He thanked the students and teachers for a wonderful programme and reminded the students to always uphold Ignatian values in life. Fr. Lawrence also remarked that the rendering of ‘The Noble Knight’ was the most beautiful that he had heard.

The vote of thanks was delivered by the Principal of the school, Ms. Clementine Monteiro.

After the programme, the guests were ushered to the staff Library for some light brunch.

Through the felicitation programme, the students learnt about the dedicated work of the Jesuit priests. The programme also reiterated the Ignatian values and principles which are the corner-stones of a Jesuit institution.

THE EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION

Our school marked the end of the Ignatian year by celebrating the Holy Eucharist on the occasion of the feast of St Ignatius of Loyola at St. Anne’s Church, Mazagaon on 1st August, 2022. The Eucharist was attended by the children, parents, staff and management of St. Mary’s School, ICSE and SSC. Fr. Leroy Rodrigues was the main celebrant and Fr. Lawrence Ferrao, Fr. Callistus Menezes along with Fr. Sylvester D’Silva con-celebrated the mass.

In his homily, Fr.Leroy Rodrigues focused on the Life of St Ignatius, the Cannonball moment and Magis. He spoke about how we as students and teachers could be a source of inspiration to others. He encouraged the students to follow the Jesuit Motto of being ‘men for others’, serving for the greater glory of God.

The Liturgy was wonderfully prepared by the teachers who during the offertory presented hand prints symbolising the sense of uniqueness in every child, a candle symbolising the idea of finding God in all things, building blocks symbolizing magis – striving to do more , and two hands representing different people working together to serve, rooted in justice and love.

The soulful singing by the Teachers’ choir enlivened the Eucharist and it certainly brought in a spiritual awakening within all those present.