Feast Day 2017

Holy Cross College Feast Day is an annual celebration held on the Friday closest to the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The feast celebrates two historical events: the discovery of the True Cross by Saint Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, in 320 under the temple of Venus in Jerusalem, and the dedication in 335 of the basilica and shrine built on Calvary by Constantine, which mark the site of the Crucifixion. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre now stands on the site and was built by the crusaders in 1149.

Feast Day is also a celebration of our unique school identity, founded on the Cross. We come together to share in the Eucharist and remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us, so that through him we can ‘Live Life to the Full’. More than anything else, “the feast is a celebration and commemoration of God's greatest work: his salvific death on the Cross and His Resurrection, through which death was defeated and the doors to Heaven opened”.

On a warm Spring day, the celebrations commenced with Mass in the Undercroft. The Sanctuary and Altar were beautifully decorated with satin fabrics in the College colours, which were draped over the black theatre curtains, clearly defining the sacred space. Ribbons in the schools’ colours looped wave like under the roof of the space adding further to the significance of the occasion. The Junior School Choir, accompanied by the College Senior Band, fostered a spirit of participation. The liturgical dance enhanced the theatre of the Mass and further elucidated the story of the Holy Cross.

Mass was followed by a Staff-Student soccer match which, while fiercely fought, I’m sure was a draw. This gave an opportunity for the Classes and House Tutor Groups (HTG) to set up their stall. The fair encouraged a Royal Show like atmosphere with numerous activities including the Mega Wipe-Out, Bouncy Castles, Zorb Soccer, Sumo Wrestling, Sponge the Teacher, Face Painting, Coloured Hairspray, Side Show Alley and many more. The favourite activity of the day had to be the Haunted House, which had some students shaking in their boots, if not in stitches of laughter. At one point, the queue was more than twelve metres long and four people wide. There were ample food stalls ranging from, Sausage Sizzles, Cheeseburgers, Nachos, Pizzas, Fairy Floss, Krispy Kremes and Ice-creams. Tadi Chikwama was again the master auctioneer at the end of the day selling off the services of teachers to the highest bidders, raising considerable funds for the various House charities.

While the event was a valuable community building success, the focus of the activities was to raise much needed funds for each of the House charities. Funds raised were in excess of $10,000 and will be divided evenly among the four House charities:

Frayne                          MercyWorks

Ozanam                        Passages – St Vincent de Paul

McCormack                  Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart Peru Project

Salvado                         Benedictine Missions

Thank you to everyone for making Feast Day 2017 such an enjoyable celebration. Special thank you to the House Coordinators, Teachers, Support Staff and the Friends of Holy Cross for making the day truly awesome.

Mr Peter Collins - Acting Principal