St Maria Goretti Schools Mark Patron Saint’s Feast with Call to Emulate Courage and Sacrifice
KABALE – St Maria Goretti Nursery and Preparatory School and St Maria Goretti Secondary School, Rushoroza, on Saturday joined Christians in celebrating the feast of their patron saint, St Maria Goretti, with a thanksgiving Mass held at Our Lady of Good Shepherd Rushoroza Cathedral.
The Mass was led by the Cathedral Administrator, Rev. Fr. Austen Christmas, who represented the Bishop of Kabale Diocese.
Speaking after the Mass, the Head Teacher of St Maria Goretti Nursery and Preparatory School, Sr. Martina Labur, said the school has continued to register significant academic improvement over the years. She urged learners, parents and Christians to look to St Maria Goretti as a young yet powerful example of courage, dignity and forgiveness.
Sr. Labur noted that despite growing up in poverty, which denied her the opportunity to attend school, St Maria Goretti remained steadfast in her faith and values, living a life marked by self-respect, purity and obedience.
She said the saint continues to inspire young people to pursue true happiness through courage, sacrifice and resisting every form of evil, even when it comes at a personal cost.
”St Maria Goretti reminds the youth of today that true happiness demands courage and a spirit of sacrifice, refusing every compromise with evil and having the audacity to pay personally, even with death,” Sr. Labur said.
She also congratulated pupils who received their First Holy Communion, encouraging them to remain faithful to the teachings of the Church.
Meanwhile, the Head Teacher of St Maria Goretti Secondary School Athanasius Tukesiga said this year’s celebrations also served as a thanksgiving event to support the construction of a permanent two-classroom block to replace the school’s temporary wooden structure. The project is estimated to cost Shs49,956,400.
During the fundraising drive, Ndorwa East Member of Parliament, Dr. Protazio Begumisa, contributed Shs1 million towards the project, while Kabale District Woman Member of Parliament, Enid Origumisiriza, donated Shs500,000.
St Maria Goretti Nursery and Preparatory School is the founding institution of St Maria Goretti Secondary School, which was established in 1989 to expand access to quality education in the area.
The annual feast celebrations brought together learners, parents, teachers, alumni, religious leaders and well-wishers in a renewed commitment to uphold the values of faith, discipline and academic excellence inspired by St Maria Goretti.
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