Head of School's Message — Fall 2020
This week marks the start of the yearlong celebration of the 175th anniversary of the founding of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus. On October 15, 1846, in Derby, England, Cornelia Connelly and three postulants participated in their first Mass as a religious community. How grateful we feel for the amazing work of so many that began on that faithful day!
Cornelia and her dedicated sisters worked with zeal and creativity, surmounting enormous obstacles to create a foundation of love on which we continue to build. That foundation is beautifully enduring—the source for the courage and inspiration that is essential and sustaining during these very challenging times.
With so much uncertainty and fear, when we so miss the love and comfort that comes from being physically together as a community, I feel immensely grateful that we can look to Cornelia’s vision and our Holy Child mission to find our way forward. This mission, rooted in Cornelia’s incarnational spirituality, centers around the firm belief that God lives and acts in each one of us—proclaiming the profound truth that every human being is united by the divine spark of God’s love.
Pope Francis reinforces this beautiful vision in his recent encyclical “Fratelli tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship.” Published on Oct. 3—the eve of the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi—the letter calls all of us to a renewed sense of solidarity. While he laments that “in today’s world, the sense of belonging to a single human family is fading, and the dream of working together for justice and peace seems an outdated utopia” (30), Pope Francis recognizes with great hope that “God willing, after all this, we will think no longer in terms of ‘them’ and ‘those,’ but only ‘us’ ” (35).
The Holy Father goes on to state that more than ever “there is the need for paths of peace to heal open wounds... a need for peacemakers, men and women prepared to work boldly and creatively to initiate processes of healing and renewed encounter” (252).
Our Holy Child mission calls us to find that path of peace and to form our students into those peacemakers our world needs so desperately. At Mayfield this year we renew that calling as we find hope and sustenance in each other and our beloved Catholic faith, inspired by Cornelia’s Epiphany prayer of 1854 resonating in our hearts today:
With Love and Gratitude,
Kate Morin
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With so much uncertainty and fear, when we so miss the love and comfort that comes from being physically together as a community, I feel immensely grateful that we can look to Cornelia’s vision and our Holy Child mission to find our way forward. This mission, rooted in Cornelia’s incarnational spirituality, centers around the firm belief that God lives and acts in each one of us—proclaiming the profound truth that every human being is united by the divine spark of God’s love.
Pope Francis reinforces this beautiful vision in his recent encyclical “Fratelli tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship.” Published on Oct. 3—the eve of the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi—the letter calls all of us to a renewed sense of solidarity. While he laments that “in today’s world, the sense of belonging to a single human family is fading, and the dream of working together for justice and peace seems an outdated utopia” (30), Pope Francis recognizes with great hope that “God willing, after all this, we will think no longer in terms of ‘them’ and ‘those,’ but only ‘us’ ” (35).
The Holy Father goes on to state that more than ever “there is the need for paths of peace to heal open wounds... a need for peacemakers, men and women prepared to work boldly and creatively to initiate processes of healing and renewed encounter” (252).
Our Holy Child mission calls us to find that path of peace and to form our students into those peacemakers our world needs so desperately. At Mayfield this year we renew that calling as we find hope and sustenance in each other and our beloved Catholic faith, inspired by Cornelia’s Epiphany prayer of 1854 resonating in our hearts today:
Let us all be diligent in giving proofs of love this year, and as you step on through the muddy streets, love God with your feet; and when your hands toil love Him with your hands; and when you teach children, love Him with His little ones; and thus may you be blessed in your actions with an abundance of Divine Love, and purified and prepared in this world to enjoy an eternity of Love—Amen
With Love and Gratitude,
Kate Morin
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Established in 1931, Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena, CA is a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school for young women grades 9-12. Noted for its rigorous academic program, which includes 28 Advanced Placement and Honors courses, Mayfield’s curriculum is underscored by a philosophy of educating the “whole child,” which also encourages commitment to and excellence in the arts, athletics, community service and spiritual growth. The nurturing environment at Mayfield Senior School allows each student to flourish in an atmosphere of personal attention.
