A House on a Hill

Fr Donald Chambers

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).

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, volatile, and

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.