On Wednesday 25th March, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, our whole school joined students from Notre Dame Catholic Academy and elsewhere in celebration of the 175 years of Notre Dame education enjoyed by the young people of Liverpool.

The Mass was celebrated by Archbishop John Sherrington, accompanied by our local deanery priests, Fr Ed Cain, Fr Tim Buckley, Fr Stephen Pritchard, Fr Colin Fealey, Fr Peter McGrail, Fr Peter Murphy, Fr David Potter and Fr Aidan Prescott, with Fr Tony O'Brien from the Cathedral and Fr Mike Fitzsimmons and Deacon Paul Mannings from the Archdiocesan Education Department.

Such a celebrated assembly shows the very high regard in which the Sisters are held, and we were proud and honoured to have so many of the Sisters in attendance at the Mass, alongside some familiar faces including Mr Alderman, Mr Willis and Mr Anderson.

The day was not without some logistical challenges, but a fleet of 18 buses and a some careful organisation saw our whole school gather on the steps of the Cathedral for a memorable photograph before we enjoyed our celebration.

We received a warm welcome from Sr Catherine Darby SNDdeN, Provincial Moderator, who gave an opening address.

The Mass featured contributions from staff and students of St Julie's and Notre Dame, and we enjoyed an insightful address from Archbishop John who spoke in detail of the incredible history of the Sisters in Liverpool, and the far reaching impact of their work from modest beginnings.

We were very honoured to have Sr Lorraine Connell SNDdeN, a member of the Congregational Leadership Team of the Sisters of Notre Dame, in attendance having flown in from Rome the previous evening. She spoke of her delight at being able to attend such an occasion and to be able to speak directly to so many students. As well as reminding students about the international breadth and scope of the Notre Dame family she asked us all to remember that every member of our school community 'stands on the shoulders of giants'.

We would like to thank our students, our school staff, our colleagues at Notre Dame, the Sisters themselves, our wonderful priests, our Archbishop and the entire team at the Cathedral and everybody else who helped us to turn an ambitious plan into a wonderful celebration. If you would like to see any of the service the live stream is available on demand.