Massgoers in Portland, Maine, hold candles during the Easter Vigil at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception April 16, 2022. (CNS photo/courtesy Diocese of Portland) Two Derry primary schools invited families, friends, and parishioners to enjoy their interpretations of the Passion during the Easter season.
At St Mary’s Primary School in Draperstown, the Passion Play has become “a cherished tradition.” Principal Corinne Coyle praised the “extraordinary effort” of the pupils, specifically the P4 class, who “rose to the challenge” of reenacting the Easter story with “remarkable maturity and reverence,” as it was their first year participating in the St Mary’s tradition.
The P4 pupils performed the week prior to Holy Week, on March 25 at Holy Rosary Church Ballinascreen.
At St Brigid’s Primary School in Magherafelt, the students and staff took a different approach to the Passion, viewing the story of Jesus’ suffering through Mary’s eyes. Based on Mary’s Way of the Cross, written by Richard G Furey, the alternative interpretation to the Passion increases the intensity, enabling “the congregation to think about suffering and loss from a relative’s perspective,” said St Brigid’s Principal Mary O’Kane.
Accompanied by a school choir, the St Brigid’s students performed at Our Lady of Mercy Church Lavey on Wednesday April 1.