Cardinal’s Visit

Posted: 13th July 2015

Ealing’s top performing Catholic girls’ school, St Augustine’s Priory, will continue its 100
year anniversary celebrations on 30th June 2015, with a visit from His Eminence (H.E.)
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster.
St Augustine’s Priory was founded as a religious community and school in France in 1634
by an order of nuns. Moving to England in 1911 they were established in Hillcrest Road,
Ealing in 1915, and the school has since dedicated itself to empowering girls aged three
to 18 years through education, becoming the number one performing school for GCSE
results in Ealing.
The Cardinal’s visit is a highlight in a series of events to mark ‘100 Years of Faith’; 100
years since the community of nuns first came together to open the school on this site
and provide an outstanding education to local girls. During his visit, the Cardinal will
celebrate Mass for the whole school, staff, parents and guests. The Mass will feature a
series of vignettes and dances played out by the students, each one highlighting
important historical events from the past 100 years and weaving these into the school’s
history. After the Mass, Cardinal Nichols will bless St Augustine’s Priory’s Prayer Garden,
a place of prayer and reflection.
Later on, the school will once again open its doors to the local community as it hosts its
popular Summer Arts Evening, at which it will unveil its ‘Stitch in Time’ display, in fitting
with the ‘100 Years of Faith’ theme. The community project sees staff, parents and
students from across the school working with the Royal School of Needlework to design,
embroider and upholster kneeling cushions for the wooden kneelers in the school’s
Chapel. Prior to creating the kneelers, students explored and took inspiration from the
Catholic designs and symbols already present all around the school.
Sarah Raffray, Headteacher of St Augustine’s Priory, explains the significance of reaching
this milestone, “As well as producing outstanding educational results, St Augustine’s has
become a pillar for the wider community. We pride ourselves on bringing together Ealing
residents through public events hosted at our grounds on Hillcrest Road, and so it’s an
Press release
honour to welcome the Cardinal to join parents, staff, students and locals, in paying
tribute to the school and all it has achieved over the past century.”

Categories: Priory Post
NOTIFICATION
Registration deadlines for September 2024:
Click here to book your visit
Saturday 27th April 2024 – Senior Open Morning (Year 7 upwards)
Tuesday 30th April 2024 – School in Action Morning (Nursery to Year 6)