Our Lady Of Schools
Country : France
Year : 1894
The love of Our Lady is written into the record of our Catholic Educational System. The following numbers are a minimum. Two Universities: Notre Dame and St. Mary’s of San Antonio, bear her name. Six colleges for men are by their title dedicated to the Mother of Men; and four of these share the name St. Mary’s. Of the Catholic teachers’ colleges, developed in recent years nine are dedicated to the Blessed Virgin.
When we come to the women’s colleges it is right in line with American love for Mary that there should be 39 of these dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. Here again, the names are like a garland offered to Heaven’s Queen: Immaculate Heart, Marymount, Notre Dame, Rosary, Madonna, Our Lady of the Elms, Marygrove, St. Mary of the Springs, Mara Manse, Immaculata, Villa Maria, Marywood, Our Lady of the Lake, Mount Mary, Loretto Heights, Good Counsel, Ladycliff, and a score of others.
It would be impossible even to start listing the over 500 academies and high schools which are the tribute of Catholic Secondary Education to the Mother of God. The number of grammar schools runs well into the thousands.
The devotion to Our Lady of Schools began in France in 1894, when laws were being made to ruin Christian education. A priest of LaRoche asked for and was given the permission of his archbishop to build a sanctuary to Our Lady of Schools and opened its doors to crowds of French students. The government decreed that the school be closed at once and took such stern measures that the priest died of a broken heart. The idea was taken up in America, especially in Canada. Here in America, Mary shows us Jesus, that we may show Him to others.
Let us be faithful to make Jesus reign in our hearts and in our life, that He may from thence truly reign in our schools. We shall grow every day in the knowledge of God and of our Savior, Jesus Christ; and for the glory of Our Lady of the Schools, for the honor of Holy Church and for the salvation of our country, accomplish our duties as Christians.
PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF SCHOOLS – O Immaculate Virgin, invoked by students under the name of Our Lady of Schools, we choose thee for our patroness and our beloved Queen. Preserve our school life from all that might hinder our intellectual, moral or religious training. Teach us to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, our Divine Brother, by practicing the special virtues of: charity, obedience, purity, love of study and sacrifice, Christian and all conquering joy. Our Lady of Schools, shelter us under thy mantle and guide us by thy maternal protection, in order that Jesus may ever be the light of our minds and the love or our hearts. Amen.
Our Lady of Good Studies, pray for us!
