Upper School students and their mothers gathered for the first time in two years to commemorate the feast day of Mater Admirabilis during the annual Mother-Daughter Liturgy October 20.  Father Tom Provenzano of the Don Bosco Community Center in Port Chester, New York celebrated the Mass.  During this celebration, the Madrigals and the Bell Choir performed in person.  Senior Charlotte Gannon, and sophomore Teresa Harkins reflected on the importance of mother-daughter bonds.

In the past two years, the Mother Daughter Liturgy took a virtual format because of the coronavirus pandemic.  Last year, only seniors and eighth graders were able to attend, and the year before that, only the Class of 2021 could participate in person.  Charlotte appreciated that the whole Upper School student body was able to celebrate together once again.  She also discussed how this tradition embodies Goal One of Sacred Heart Greenwich’s Goals and Criteria, “a personal and active faith in God.”

“I think the mother-daughter liturgy embodies Sacred Heart’s mission in many ways.  One important goal of our school is to lead a faith-driven life,” Charlotte said.  “In which case, this liturgy allows students to take time out of the school day to celebrate our faith together.  I also think since our school is all-girls, it embodies our efforts to support women in faith.”

The month of October celebrates the Blessed Virgin Mary and this year, the liturgy took place on the feast day of Mater Admirabilis.  Students were able to reflect upon their relationship with their mothers and Mary, who is the Mother of the Church.  In her reflection, Charlotte remarked on the similarities between her mother and Mary.

 “In my reflection, I wrote about the ways in which my mom has impacted my life greatly,” Charlotte said. “I also applied the role of my mom in my life to Mater’s role in our faith lives: how she can help and support us. Finally, I talked about the characteristics of Mary that are apparent in my mom.”

Seniors, Zara Black, Maddy Abramson, Kass Morrow, and Molly Krisky and their mothers sang “Daughter of God,” “Wonderfully Made,”  and “Holy Spirit”  along with traditional church hymns.  The Madrigals also performed “Be Thou My Vision” and the Upper School Bell Choir played “Sacred Silence” and “Mater Admirabilis.” 

As it is a special day for all the students and their mothers, the sophomore class, new juniors, and visiting exchange students received a symbol of their relationship with Mary, the Mater Admiriabilis medals.  Father Provenzano blessed these medals for Mr. Michael F. Baber,  President of Sacred Heart, and Mrs. Marcie McDonald, Interim Head of the Upper School, to distribute to students.  Before receiving her medal, Teresa spoke about how she relies on Mater as a source of perseverance, strength, and companionship. 

“Mater is a mother and defender for each and every one of us, and it’s important that we as her daughters develop a relationship with her based on that belief,” Teresa said.  “As I wrote about in my reflection, it can be pretty hard to relate to Mater because she can seem so perfect and untouchable, but when you keep in mind that she’s a mother who wants the best for her beloved children, it’s a lot easier to build a relationship with Mater.”

Featured Image by Kelly Haggerty ’23