150th Anniversary of P.S.M.G.
Carrigtwohill
15 May 2025
My friends,
‘A little learning is a dangerous thing’ is the opening line of the poem by 17th Century, English poet, Alexander Pope.
‘In fearless youth we tempt the height of Arts;
While from the bounded level of our mind
Short views we take, nor see the lengths behind”
I 'googled' it – the phrase, and here is what the AI – artificial intelligence overview came up with. “Having only a small amount of knowledge about a subject can lead to over confidence and poor decision making.”
Poetry.com said,
“Overall, the poem emphasises the importance of humility, caution and perseverance in the pursuit of knowledge. It warms against the dangers of intellectual arrogance and encourage individuals to approach learning with a sense of humility and willingness to delve deeply into subjects rather than settle for superficial understanding.”
This might explain why sometimes, when faced with a dilemma, rather than ‘Google it’ we ask our mother for advice – someone you trust and who has done some living.
My friends, our age, our time, is distinguished by the extraordinary volume of information and sensory experience that we are exposed to from the cradle. How often do you see an infant quietened by the cartoon on a tiny screen perfectly suited to her tiny hands.
Of course, things were not always so. The late 19th Century in Carrigtwohill is hard for us to imagine. The country was still recovering from the devastation of famine and the exodus of so many families to other lands to find a path out of poverty and deprivation. We know the story of Fr. Seymour’s invitation to the newly established order of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God to establish a community of sisters here. The rest is history.
Today it’s our privilege to celebrate, with profound gratitude to God, the extraordinary blessings that have flowed into this community of Carrigtwohill as a result of the faith and generosity of Mother Magdelena and her sisters. Their apostolate was first and foremost to the poor and needy. Overtime, the mission of education came to prominence. The accomplishments and achievements across the decades is recognised and fulsomely acknowledged.
That heritage of education in the tradition of Catholic Church continues to flourish today and you are rightly proud of its character and quality. Over the decades the Sisters were the principal educators and by their compassion and example, inspired many young women to walk in their footsteps and become Christian educators in turn and dedicated their lives to nurturing new generations of women in the ways of faith – here and elsewhere.
Over time, with shifting cultural patterns, lay staff have embraced that founding ethos of Mother Magdalene. Though our societal context has changed hugely in the past generation the challenge has been to nurture that vision of Catholic education for a new generation of young women to equip them to negotiate a safe path through the opportunities and threats that society offers.
The critics of Catholic Church engagement in education accuse us of indoctrination and control. If that is what we are about the criticism would be justified but it is not.
Culture no more than schools are not static – we are always adjusting to change. Our anchor in the midst of that change is Jesus, the Christ – who is the Way, Truth and Life for us who believe. The Scripture readings chosen for today reflect with insight and joy the beauty and blessing of our life in Christ.
“By God’s doing he has become our wisdom and our virtue, our holiness and our freedom.” (2nd Reading)
Mother Magdalene came among us with the mind and heart of Christ – respecting the dignity and worth of all creating a culture of respect for all, generating a sense of solidarity with all our sisters and brothers. This is education at its most radical – regardless of ones gifts and opportunities to value your personal worth as a way to understanding and valuing others as fellow pilgrims on life’s journey.
Following the curriculum is an essential and important element in school education but its not the full story. All learning is through a lens of life. Our tradition of Christian education in the Catholic understanding is your lens. It helps all of us young and old alike to see, judge and act in virtue and wisdom. It helps to avoid the trap of arrogance and superficiality in the exciting but complex society of the 21st Century.
“A little learning is a dangerous thing”
