February 6, feast of St Dorothy, is an important day for all of us Dorotheans, and the Senior School bearing the saint's name celebrated this day with a special programme.
Charmain Caruana Tanti, the school's drama teacher, wrote and directed a playlet based on a book by Leonard Clark about the legend of St Dorothy.
It tells about this young girl, Dorothea, who lived in Emperor Diocletian's time, and did not deny she was a Christian even when threatened with beheading. Theophilus fell in love with her, but being also her judge was angry when she did not renounce her faith in Christ. Dorothea was beheaded, but she sent an angel with flowers and apples from heaven for Theophilus as a token of her true faith. This was enough to make Theophilus a Christian and he too suffered martyrdom for Christ.
This short play was performed by the students of Form 1 in collaboration with three fifth formers - Rebecca Ann Said, who played a Bach prelude on the piano; Marie Claire Tonna, who danced to the ballet music Lady Marian by Clannad, and Katryna Storace who played Romance, a classical guitar piece by an anonymous composer.
After the performance, Sr Doreen Cuschieri, the headmistress, addressed all Form 1 students and their parents. She explained why St Paula Frassinetti, the foundress, wanted them to be known as the Sisters of St Dorothy and augured that the virtue of love be cherished by all in all circumstances. And to keep to the spirit of the legend, all the students were given an apple and all the mothers were presented with a rose.
The school's spiritual director, Fr Charles Delia, SJ, then celebrated Mass in honour of the saint known for her apples and roses from heaven.
Besides the teaching and learning, it is also through celebrations like this one that students, parents, teachers and administrators of St Dorothy's Convent Senior School intend to bring to the fore those values which a Catholic school strives to inculcate in all those who come in contact with it.
Ms Schembri Agius is assistant head of St Dorothy's School