Saint Columba (521CE – 597CE) was an Irish abbot and missionary credited with spreading Christianity in present-day Scotland. He founded the important abbey on Lona off the coast of Scotland, which became a dominant religious and political institution in the region for centuries.

He is the Patron Saint of Derry in Ireland and he is remembered today as one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland.

June is the month of the Sacred Heart.  In Catholic churches and homes, one of the most popular images of Jesus is the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The image of God’s love is revealed in the pierced heart of His Son. It is the symbol of a love that conquers sin and transcends death, the symbol of the One who loved us to the end.

Love has always been associated with the heart, so it was only natural that the love of God became represented by a heart, the heart of his Son Jesus. In him, God the Father revealed his infinite love for us. On the Friday after the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Open yourselves to this love and take it ‘to the ends of the earth,’ witnessing to the goodness and mercy that flow from the Heart of Jesus. – Pope Francis

What can we learn from reflecting on the Sacred Heart?

Jesus wants us to know that we can come to Him and our true rest is when we rest in Him. How do we do this? Prayer is our daily fuel and Jesus never wants us to feel burdened. Embrace the virtues of Jesus. Choosing to embrace the virtue of humility, to put aside arrogance, and to be kind and open to others. 

Welcome the presence of the Heart of Christ, entrusting your home to Him. Before the open heart of Jesus, we seek to draw from Him the true Love that our families need. We turn to the Heart of Jesus for healing and know that His MOST wounded heart is the source of healing and hope for all. Every person matters; there is hope for every soul to be transformed by Love.

Strive for virtue, not fame or wealth. Virtue is the backbone of our holiness, and often progress in this area is very slow. The goal is that we don’t backslide. So what virtues are like the Heart of Jesus? All the Christian Virtues flow from His Heart, in particular Faith, Hope, and Love.

On the 20th March 2023, St Edmund’s ESA group (Ethnic Student Alliance) went on a trip to visit the Mayor’s parlour in Wolverhampton. We were able to meet Cllr Sandra Samuels OBE, the former Mayor of Wolverhampton. Not only is she the 163rd Mayor of Wolverhampton, but she was the first African-Caribbean female to have ever been elected to run our city. ESA felt proud and honoured to have her as Mayor and wanted to express our gratitude in person.

When we arrived we were led to a big room, where we were going to be spending our time with Councillor Samuels. The moment that we met Councillor Samuels for the first time was overwhelming, yet we couldn’t have been more excited to meet such a remarkable woman. She spoke to us about her life and her job as a nurse before she became Mayor. She told us about her motto “Dare to Dream” and how “no dream is too big or too small, as long as we do it with confidence”. She told us to do everything with confidence as “with confidence, you have won before you have even begun”.

When she finished her speech, we were shown her conference room, which is where she holds big meetings with members of the council. We were able to take it in turns to ask her questions and discuss the struggles she went through being a black woman running for Mayor. She told us about how we should never let racism take over our lives, that “racism is their problem, not yours”. We talked about what work she has done for the community and what it takes to be truly successful in life.

Once everyone had asked their questions, we had some refreshments and told Councillor Samuels a bit about our school diversity group, the ESA. When we were leaving, she gave us hugs and a small gift to remember our time at the Mayor’s parlour. It was an eye-opening experience, we have learned so much from Mayor Samuels and can’t wait to share it with others.

“People won’t always remember your face, what you’ve done or what you’ve said. But they will never forget how you made them feel.” – Cllr Sandra Samuels OBE

Written by Pooja Sonsana

ESA Group Photographs

Shnai Johnson, Peggy Mafiamba, Christina Agbasoga, Christina Cudjoe, Adrianna Brown, Leoni Francis, Temitope Omololu, Reyhan Birdi, Dumebi Umensofor, Khadija Henry, Dylan Coe, Pooja Sonsana and Jovita Edobor

Staff:  Mr Taylor (Head of Year 8) and Mrs Grant (Assistant Head of Year 8)

We must respect other people, regardless of their sexuality or gender. This month is a great time to learn about identities other than our own. It is a month of celebration and acceptance of all people. We are part of one family and it is our duty to support all people to achieve all they can. Therefore it is right that we support and celebrate people of the LGBTQ+ community so that they may be their true selves.

Saturday 27 May 2023 to Friday 2 June 2023

The annual Diocesan pilgrimage is returning to Lourdes under the leadership of His Grace, Archbishop Bernard Longley, and Bishop David Evans.

Around 500 pilgrims are joining the Diocesan Pilgrimage with many other groups meeting up there, including staff and students from St Edmund’s Catholic Academy, taking the numbers up to around 600.

Please pray for all those involved in this year’s pilgrimage to Lourdes, as they will be praying for you.

You will be able to see photos and other coverage of the 2023 pilgrimage by clicking the link below.

https://www.birminghamdiocese.org.uk/Pages/FAQs/Category/lourdes-daily