“A House on a Hill”

Tribute to five Catholic Religious Women Leaders in Secondary School Education in Jamaica.

There is a house, 
a house on a hill.

There is a house on a hill,
a house encompassing several radiantly lit rooms.

There is a house on a hill,
each lit room represents faith in action.

There is a house on a hill,
with a light switch activating faith, 
the faith of Jamaicans,
Jamaican women leaders,
Jamaican Catholic women leaders,
Jamaican Catholic religious women leaders,
in secondary education.

There is a house on a hill,
every room brilliantly glows,
with faith in action of stalwart women, 
Sr. Bernadette Little, Convent of Mercy, Alpha (1924 - 2014),
Sr. Mary Paschal Figueroa, St. Catherine High (1918 - 2020),
Sr. Mary Stephanie Grey, Holy Childhood High (1930- 2008),
Sr. Angella Harris, Mount Alvernia High and Immaculate Conception High (1957- 2020),
and now, Sr. Maureen Clare, Immaculate Conception High (1935 – 2023).

Sr. Bernadette Little, Convent of Mercy, Alpha (1924 – 2014)

Sr. Mary Paschal Figueroa, St. Catherine High (1918 – 2020)

Sr. Mary Stephanie Grey, Holy Childhood High (1930- 2008)

Sr. Angella Harris, Mount Alvernia High and Immaculate Conception High (1957- 2020)

Sr. Maureen Clare, Immaculate Conception High (1935 – 2023)

There is a house on a hill,
the light switch of these women flicked off,
but the house still glows on the Jamaican education landscape.

There is a house on a hill,
the light of faith
lit the conscience, minds, and hearts of generations,
generations of vulnerable and volatile
women leaders.

There is a house on a hill,
still glowing,
because this house 
built on a Catholic ethos of education,
faith,
service to the community,
the whole person,
the preferential option - the poor. 

There is a house on a hill,
light switches turned off,
but the house still glows,
with the light of the offspring of faith.

There is a house on a hill,
lighting the education landscape.
We celebrate this house on a hill,
less we forget,
forget the light of faith
that lit,
lit this house on a hill. 

“To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history”

Cicero.