The launch of the Stella Maris School in Limerick took place in late October, and Catholic Arena were honoured to attend as invited guests. The school’s aim is to:
"...provide authentic Catholic education in all its goodness, truth and beauty. The word ‘educate’ derives from the Latin root ‘educare’, which means ‘to lead out’. At Stella Maris School, we know that Christ is the way, the truth and the life. Thus, our mission is to lead our students to Jesus. We put Jesus Christ at the centre of each pupil’s education, so as to provide an unparalleled academic, human and spiritual formation. The ultimate goal of this school is to help children to attain their ultimate purpose in life, which is to encounter Our Lord and to come into communion and intimacy with Him. In other words, the students of Stella Maris School will be guided along the path to sainthood, growing in wisdom and virtue as they progress through the different levels of their education."
There are 10 students so far, ranging from ages 5 to 12. The Legion of Mary own the building which the school currently occupies, and they have generously lent this to the Stella Maris School. As enrolment increases, they will outgrow this location, and hope to find a larger space in which to continue their mission.
Headmaster, Richard Casey, stated: “Thank God for this wonderful occasion and for you all being able to join our school community on this momentous day. We are very proud of the fact that the children of Stella Maris School are being provided with a wonderful academic, human and spiritual education. As well as this, the happiness of the children coming to school everyday is truly something to behold. These wonderful boys and girls are being nourished in their education, so that they can develop naturally and joyfully into great men and women for Christ, and for our future Irish society.”
While we were there, we caught up with Headmaster Casey who briefed us on the mission of the school and plans for the future:
We were struck by how happy the students were, and although the school can be physically be described as austere, the quality of their instruction appeared to be first rate, with the core subjects of Latin, Music and Catechism instructed, along with Maths, English, Science, History, Irish, and Art.
Enrolment is currently open and inquiries from interested parents are welcome. More information can be found at https://stellamarisprimaryschool.com/. We encourage everyone to pray for the continued success of this wonderful institution, and as they receive no state funding, donations are especially welcome, details of how to do this are on the school’s website mentioned above.
(Full Press Release from Stella Maris Primary School)