Conclusion

As always during the Easter Holiday a group of sixth formers, together with Miss Tedstone, Mr Kilty and Father Kevin, will be going to Lourdes to work on the Handicapped Children’s Pilgrimage Trust’s pilgrimage. This is an incredible witness to the work of St Peter’s and each year I receive letters from the organisers saying how valuable the support of our staff and young people is to the success of the pilgrimage. I am so grateful to the staff and students for giving up their time and particularly to those students who return to face public examinations very soon afterwards. They obviously have the added pressure of making up their revision time in the other week of the holiday to the one they so freely donate to the young people they are helping. It is not just the week they work, they work throughout the year to raise funds for the pilgrimage and many years later many former students still remark on the experience they had when going to Lourdes.

Easter is the most important feast in the Christian year as it gives meaning to all our lives. Without Easter Sunday and the resurrection of Jesus, our lives would be but a small interlude and then oblivion. Easter Sunday gives us all hope that no matter how difficult or how easy life has been whilst on earth, there is a greater joy to experience for eternity if we wish to accept it. The whole purpose of our Ash Wednesday services, our reconciliation services which each year has enjoyed and our general theme throughout Lent, has been to put differences aside, to build bridges and to help create a more cohesive and respectful society in which we live and work. This stems from the way we treat each other in our homes and in our school. Although we will all slip occasionally, what is important is that we are not afraid to admit we have made a mistake, apologise and try to ensure we do not hurt others in the future. As I say to the young people, we cannot be everybody’s friend nor do we necessarily want everyone to be bosom buddies with us but what we can do is to ensure that we treat everyone with the dignity and respect which was not given to Jesus during his passion and crucifixion. The forgiveness he showed by rising and giving us hope on Easter Sunday is the formula not only for others to enjoy a happy and fulfilling life, but also for ourselves to get the most out of this magnificent gift of life God has given us.

I hope you and your family will take the opportunity to visit your own churches over the Easter weekend and celebrate in your own churches the fact that Easter has given us all hope that one day we can enjoy eternal happiness in God’s presence. I also hope and pray that the Easter Holiday will allow you to spend time as a family so that you can enjoy the unique opportunities a happy family life offers all of us.

Yours sincerely




Lawrence Montagu
Headteacher