House System

Red House: St. Therese of child Jesus
St Therese of Child JesusTHERESE MARTIN was born at Alencon, France on 2nd January 1873. Two days later, she was baptized Marie Frances Therese at Notre Dame Church. Her parents were Louis Martin and Zelie Guerin. After the death of her mother on 28 August 1877, Therese and her family moved to Lisieuse. On the Feast of Pentecost 1883, She received the singular grace of being healed from a serious illness. She received the First Holy Communion and some weeks later the same year she received the Sacrament on Confirmation fully aware of accepting the gift of the Holy Spirit. On 9 April 1888 she entered the Carmel of Lisieux. She received the habit on 10 January of the following year, and made her religious profession on 8th September 1890 on the feast of the British of the blessed Virgin Mary. In Carmel she embraced the way of perfection outlined by the foundered, St Therese of Jesus, fulfilling with genuine fervor and fidelity the various community responsibilities entrusted of her beloved father. She discovered the little way of spiritual childhood and taught it to the novices entrusted to her care.

Blue House: St. Maria Goretti
St Maria GorettiMARIA GORETTI was born on 16 October 1890. She was a beautiful Italian girl of twelve who lived on a farm. One day Alessandro, a nineteen year old boy, who was working on the farm, stopped at Maria’s house and wanted to do wrong with her. “No! No!” Maria cried out. “Do not touch me, Alessandro! It is a sin. You will go to hell!”. When Maria began to fight him, he took a knife and stabbed her fourteen times. Maria fell to the floor with a cry of pain: “O God, I am dying! Mamma!” Alessandro ran out of the room. Maria was taken to the hospital and suffered there for two days. When the priest asked her if she would forgive her murderer, she said: “Yes’ I forgive him for the love of Jesus, and I want him to be with me in heaven. May God forgive him!” Maria died kissing the crucifix and holding a medal of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This happened in 1902. Maria Goretti was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1950. She was chosen to be the patron of boys and girls, that she might help them to be pure.

Green House: St. Agnes
St AgnesAGNES was born in Rome in the year 291. Her feast is celebrated on January 21. She was only twelve years old when she was led to the altar of the pagan goddess Minerva in Rome to offer incense to her. But she raised her hands to Jesus Christ and made the Sign of the Cross. The soldiers bound her hands and feet. Her young hands were so thin that the chains slipped from her wrists. When the judge saw that she was not afraid of pain, he had her clothes stripped off, and she had to stand in the street before a pagan crowd. She cried out: “Christ will guard His own”. Agnes was offered the hand of a rich young man in marriage, but she answered: “Christ is my Spouse. He Chose me first and His I will be. He made my soul beautiful with the jewels of grace and virtue. I belong to Him whom the angels serve”. She bowed her head to the sword. At one stoke her head was cut off. The name Agnes means “lamb”. She was gentle and pure.

Yellow House: St. Cecilia
St._CeciliaCECILIA was born in the 2nd century A.D. Her feast is celebrated on November 22. She was one of the most famous and mot loved of the Rome martyrs. According to legen, she was a young Christian of high rank promised in marriage to a Roman named Valerian. Through her example he was converted, and was martyred along with his brother. An inscription of the fourth century refers to a church named after her. Her feast has been celebrated at least since 545. The legend about her death is very beautiful. Cecilia refused to sacrifice to the Gods. The judge condemned her to be suffocated to death. But God protected her. Then the judge ordered a soldier to kill her with a sword. He struck her three times, but did not cut off her head. She fell down, badly wounded, and for three days she remained alive. After receiving holy Communion she died in 117. Cecilia is honored as the patroness of religious music. Like any good Christian, she sang in her heart, and sometimes with her voice. She has become a symbol of the Church’s teaching that good music is an important part of the liturgy.