Last night we gathered online as a Siena community to celebrate this rite of passage for our Year 12 students. Our tradition was honoured in word, image, music and song - rich in the symbolism of light, embodying the gift that these young women have been for our college.
We mark the Solemnity of All Saints (All Hallows) on the first day of November; the evening before this day is known as Halloween.
Before commercialism hijacked this beautiful commemoration, many cultures remembered their dead around this time – it is felt to be when the veil between heaven and earth is at its most fine.
One of the obligations of Christians is to pray for the dead; it is also an important part of the Dominican spiritual tradition, honouring those who have gone before us.
A Peruvian Dominican saint, Martin is the patron of social justice and racial harmony. Read more about him here.