During a recent
all staff meeting, members of our faculty and staff were asked to reflect on a
favorite holy place somewhere on the grounds of our school. My reflection was about the vestibule of the
chapel where our portrait of Mater hangs on the wall just to the left of the
main door.
I became a part of
the Sacred Heart community in 1988 when I enrolled my first child in the
Primary School. As a new Sacred Heart parent
it was interesting to begin hearing the Sacred Heart terminology through the
lens of a young child. As these early
years passed the details about St. Madeleine Sophie and St. Philippine Duchesne
as well as the many special French terms (gouter, conge, cache, cache, and
Mater) became more clearly defined. The
second grade play about the portrait of Mater was my first clear explanation of
Mater’s role in our community.
In 1999, I began
to wear a new hat in the Sacred Heart community as a third grade teacher,
teaching Language Arts, Social Studies and Religion. Every October as the Feast of Mater
approached my third grade religion class would retell the story of Mater. Sometimes our class would meet in the space
outside the chapel seated on the floor in front of Mater’s portrait. We discussed the symbolism represented in the
painting and remembered the story of Sister Pauline Perdrau’s frustration when
she thought she had failed to create her vision of the blessed mother in her
own unique way.
In the fall of
2002, my daughter, Jessica Choinski, (Class of 2001) had the chance to study abroad
in Italy at Loyola University’s Rome Center. Of course I took the opportunity
to travel to Rome to visit her and the ancient city. On October 20th,
2002 I came to school wearing my pink sweater ready to celebrate Mater’s Feast
Day. I was excited because I particularly
enjoy this liturgy and also because I knew I was leaving that afternoon to fly
to Rome. It felt pretty special to be flying to Rome on Mater’s Feast Day
wearing a pink sweater.
While I was in
Rome I visited several places that tourists like to go. I saw the Roman Coliseum, many ruins and
monuments, St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, the Trevi fountain and the
painting of Mater. I visited Mater
twice; the first time because I was staying near the Trinita dei Monte, the Sacred Heart school, where the painting
is located and the second time as a shared experience with my daughter Jessica.
The portrait of
Mater is not easy to find. There are no
signs pointing the way. Trinita dei Monte is located at the top of the Spanish
Steps in Rome. First you’ll need to work
your way up the very crowded Spanish steps. Next, find the church and school
then figure out how to gain access to one of these buildings. Once inside you’ll wander around feeling like
you are trespassing. If you’re lucky you
will find a window near a stairway and ask the person behind the window to
direct you to the painting of Mater. The
answer to your question will be in Italian. Unless you speak Italian you will
be following a pointed finger up a stairway and you’ll be on your own figuring
out what to do next. If you keep going you’ll come to a narrow corridor lined
with kneelers for praying and there on the wall you’ll see her. Mater is
painted on a wall in a somewhat small archway and she looks just like the many
beautiful representations we see here in our own school. If you are lucky
enough to visit Mater near the celebration of her feast day you will see the
many gifts and flowers offered by the Sacred Heart students of Trinta dei Monte
placed on the floor in front of the portrait.
I always make it a
point to visit Scared Heart schools when I am traveling. I find it amazing and comforting that so many
schools located all over the world cherish the same values and participate in
the same celebrations that we do here in Bloomfield Hills. If you have the chance to travel to Rome
please be sure to visit Mater. If she
seems hard to find, don’t give up. It’s worth making the effort. You’ll be glad you did.
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