Catholic Schools Week 2024

As the only Catholic secondary school in the town of Greystones, we would like to tell you something about ourselves.  St David’s Holy Faith Secondary School is a co-educational secondary school educating students from 12-18 years of age. Our school has 752 students, 70 staff and operates from a newly built, state-of-the-art campus, providing our students with a proud focus on academic, sporting and artistic excellence. Our school was founded by the Holy Faith Sisters in 1906.  Margaret Aylward, founder of the Holy Faith Sisters, was a Waterford woman who had a pioneering vision of education, one that focused on service and an understanding of faith connected into the world around us. It is this important history and heritage that ensures school ethos is to the fore of everything we do.

The theme of this year’s Catholic Schools Week is the Catholic School as a community of service.  Service is a hallmark of discipleship – ‘ as long as you do this to the least of my people, you do it to me’.   Whatever we can do to make life better for people, to empower them, and enable them to be the best people they can be, is a response to the call of Christ in our world. Christian service puts faith into action.  In Catholic schools, as we study and look to Jesus Christ as our role model and Teacher, we come to a greater understanding of the depth of Christian service.  Jesus served every person regardless of creed, background, faith, social status or age.  He put faith into action by showing all those around him how God is compassionate, courageous and forgiving.  Jesus didn’t just talk about his faith; he lived it. 

In our school we have lovely links expressing our community of service with the local, national and international community through initiatives such as:

1. organising clothes collections for the benefit of Syria, Malawi, Kenya, and SVP shops locally

2. fund-raising for Barretstown, Pieta House, Greystones Cancer Support and SVP 

3. collecting hampers of food for distribution to people in need in Greystones, Delgany, Newtownmountkennedy, Kilcoole, Newcastle and Roundwood

4. awareness-raising through having speakers coming in to talk with students about different issues and how they affect people and the environment

5. forging links with our local Catholic, Evangelical, Presbyterian and Church of Ireland communities

6. continuing links with SVP Greystones and Kilquade, and the Sugarloaf Lions Club.

We are proud to be a Catholic school.  During this special week, our school will have daily reflections on the intercom for all students, visits to local churches and from local pastors, visible displays about our Catholic identity as a school, and workshops on aspects of faith.  We ask that you would pray with and for us as we seek to educate our students with the Christian values entrusted to us, in kindness, care and compassion.  

Simon Carey (Principal)

Louise O’Sullivan (Deputy Principal)

Huw Davies (Deputy Principal)