St Benild School, Sliema, recently celebrated the feast of its patron saint, St Benild Romançon.

Celebrating the feast of St Benild: from left, Bro David, Fr Paul Attard, Ġanni Pace, Bro Austin and Claudia Vella.

The day kicked off with a special assembly put on by one of the classes, which commemorated the life of the saint, followed by the entrance of children carrying a portrait of the saint. Members of the St Julian’s Band Club played traditional marches.

This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the inauguration of the St Benild bas-relief sculpture which occupies a prominent place along the stairway leading to the school’s main entrance. The sculpture was commissioned by Bro Martin Borg.

It is the work of Ġanni Pace who was guest of honour on this special occasion.

Sacro Cuor parish priest Fr Paul Attard blessed brothers Edward Galea, Austin Gili and David Mizzi and all present while the students went around the school singing the school anthem dedicated to St Benild. The anthem was composed by former assistant head Valerie Seychell.

Various hands-on activities, which revived the times of 18th-century France, were held throughout the day.

These included a quiz about the life of the saint and a treasure hunt consisting of puzzles, crafts and movement games based on the school’s anthem.

The legacy of St Benild, which the school aspires to keep, is ‘doing ordinary things extraordinarily well’. In Pope Pius XII’s words, St Benild endured “the terrible daily grind” by “doing common things in an uncommon way”.

Benild Romançon was the first brother saint of the Lasallian Institute to be canonised and the second saint after Jean Baptiste de la Salle, the patron saint of teachers.