Students at St Mary’s School in Cambridge enjoyed a host of celebrations on Friday 21st January to mark Mary Ward Day (23rd January) – the birthday of the formidable 17th Century English nun, who fought for equal opportunities for education for women, and whose work inspired the founding of the school almost 125 years ago. St Mary’s staff and pupils were also buzzing with excitement with Headmistress, Charlotte Avery, interviewed live on BBC Radio 4 and Sixth Form student Maryam appearing on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire to talk about this incredible historical figure.
Ahead of Mary Ward Day, Charlotte Avery and Sister Jane Livesey CJ appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour with presenter Anita Rani. Charlotte and Jane discussed the life and legacy of the school’s namesake, the venerable Mary Ward. Often referred to as the first sister of feminism, Mary Ward campaigned tirelessly for women to have equal access to education. She even walked across the Alps (more than once) to lobby the Pope, but was imprisoned because of her beliefs.
As the school’s headmistress spoke live on national radio about Mary Ward, St Mary’s students celebrated the foundress of their school with a range of activities. Pupils at the Junior School enjoyed an online morning assembly about Mary Ward, hosted by The Faith Council. The whole school then enjoyed a Mary Ward birthday celebration at lunchtime, with banners and party food. A ribbon was cut to mark the opening of a new chaplaincy room. One student even dressed up as Mary Ward for the celebration. To end the day the school gathered for an online Mass with Sister Jane Livesey CJ.
Charlotte Avery, Headmistress at St Mary’s School, said: “Mary Ward was a truly facinating woman, who relentlessly fought for equal rights to education for girls. She believed that ‘Women in time to come will do much’ and she was most certainly right! Mary’s plight may be well-known within our school, but she is still a relatively unknown figure in wider circles. It was incredible to talk about her life on national radio and explain how we – and other Mary Ward schools worldwide – are keeping her legacy alive today. Revolutionary for her time, Mary Ward had the courage to stand up for her beliefs and forged the way for better educational opportunities for women – something we must never forget!”
On Sunday (Mary Ward Day) Sixth Form student, Maryam G, was interviewed live on BBC Radio Cambridgshire by presenter Louise Hulland. She discussed the importance of Mary Ward on her own ambitions and educational pathway, the network of Mary Ward schools and gave a detailed account of Mary Ward’s life.
Mary Ward was an extraordinary 17th Century nun. Her work was considered controversial in many quarters as – at the time – nuns were expected to live an enclosed monastic life. Mary walked (on several occasions) from Belgium to Rome to make her case for female education to the Pope, covering 1500 miles on foot and traversing the Alps. Despite this arduous journey, her pleas fell on deaf ears and she was labelled a heretic and imprisoned.
Several years later, Mary was cleared of heresy and allowed to restart her work. She reopened her schools – but her life was plagued by ill health. Mary continued to live in Italy until 1637 when she moved back to England. She died in Yorkshire in 1645. Mary’s order of nuns and her Institute didn’t receive definitive approval from the Catholic Church until 1877 – more than 200 years after her death – and it wasn’t until 1909 that she was acknowledged as its founder. One hundred years later, in 2009, Ward was declared Venerable by Pope Benedict XVI. Today, Mary Ward’s legacy lives on via a network of almost 200 Mary Ward schools worldwide – including St Mary’s School in Cambridge.
To find out more about Mary Ward, please visit: https://www.stmaryscambridge.co.uk/about/our-history/about-mary-ward.htm
To listen to the Woman’s Hour interview, please visit: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0013j9q
To listen to the BBC Radio Cambridgeshire interview, please visit: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0bfqb1g
Categories: Cambridge School News St Mary's School
