The New Hall Chapel bell can be heard once again at Beaulieu Park, calling people to morning and evening prayer each day. In a pioneering spirit, from this term onwards, a community of Canonesses has arrived to live at New Hall School, Chelmsford. The new Mission House is home to four Canonesses from Rwanda. In their distinctive pale blue religious habits, they are quickly becoming a familiar sight around Chelmsford, at Brentwood Cathedral and at the UK Priory in Colchester. Mrs Katherine Jeffrey, Principal, said: “Their arrival has brought a renewed energy and joy to Catholic life in our community and beyond. Their laughter, singing, and the sound of their drums, can be heard even before you catch sight of them – sometimes dancing, always smiling, and showing to all this tremendous love and spirit of service to others.”
This year, New Hall School has embarked on a project to link with Holy Sepulchre communities globally – schools and Canonesses’ priories. A team of staff has recently returned from a 12-day trip to build a relationship with the Priory of the Daughters of the Resurrection, in Masaka, Rwanda, a Religious Community belonging to the same Association as New Hall’s founding Community, the Canonesses of the Holy Sepulchre. The trip, covering visits to all the Mission Houses in Rwanda, provided a valuable opportunity to witness the Sisters’ faith in action, to strengthen ties with the Rwandan community, and to consider new ways that New Hall can continue to support their mission.
The Rwandan Priory, located in a rural area of the Kigali district, runs École Christ Ressuscité, a thriving primary school that educates over 500 pupils, most of whom live in poverty in the banana plantations on the surrounding hills. This is one of New Hall’s sister schools, sharing the same ethos, based on the Rule of St Augustine. The Canonesses also maintain eight Mission Houses in Rwanda that provide vital support to local communities, including children with disabilities and vulnerable women. The Priory has three other Mission Houses, one in Uganda, one in Italy, and the most recent foundation is in Chelmsford, at New Hall School.
Representing New Hall on the visit to Rwanda were Mrs Katherine Jeffrey, Principal, and Mr Regan Schreiber, Head of Chaplaincy, accompanied by Old Fishes (alumni) Rebecca Jeffrey (2018–2020) and Gregor Petrikovič (2012–2014). Together, they visited all eight Mission Houses and spent time with pupils and teachers at École Christ Ressuscité. Students and staff at New Hall school had held a cake sale, which raised the £400 needed for sports equipment, for basketball, football and volleyball. Further donations from New Hall included sports kits, school uniforms, crucifixes, rosary beads, and teaching materials, as well as a £3,000 donation for the Priory.
Mrs Katherine Jeffrey, Principal of New Hall School, said: “It was a privilege to witness firsthand the incredible work of the Sisters, and their commitment to education and service, a mission that unites our communities across continents. We return to New Hall humbled and inspired by their faith, compassion and devotion to others, and full of ideas for how we can continue to support the Rwandan community. Later this academic year, two members of our Chaplaincy Team will be spending a term volunteering in this vibrant community and teaching in our sister school.”
This visit follows the arrival earlier this year of four Sisters; S. Valentine, S. Cansilde, S. Marie Josée, and S. Anuarite, from the Rwandan Priory. The Sisters, who arrived at New Hall in July, have joined the resident Chaplaincy Department and live in the newly established Mission House at New Hall. Mr Regan Schreiber, Head of Chaplaincy, said: “The arrival of the Sisters highlights the long tradition of collaboration between the Priories of the Canonesses of the Holy Sepulchre. The Mission House acts as a living bridge, strengthening the School’s global bonds and bringing the worldwide work of the Canonesses directly into the heart of the School.”
A documentary film created during the recent visit to Rwanda, which will be available to view on the New Hall website from January 2026, will be used to enrich educational and spiritual learning within the New Hall community, offering students valuable insights into the global mission of the Canonesses and the power of faith in action.
The Religious Order which established New Hall School, the Canonesses of the Holy Sepulchre, was founded in 1642 in the city of Liège, in what is now Belgium. The Community eventually settled at New Hall in January 1799, and lived on-site until 2005, when they moved to continue their lives of service in local communities in Chelmsford and Colchester. Today, there are Priories in the UK, Belgium, Spain and Africa, united in their dedication to prayer, service and community.
Sister Moira O’Sullivan CRSS, Prioress of the Canonesses of the Holy Sepulchre, commented: “The Community is delighted to have been able to collaborate with New Hall to strengthen links between us, New Hall and the Priory in Rwanda. The presence of the Rwandan sisters with the Community in Colchester at weekends and during the holidays is a great joy and inspiration. We are delighted that they can also further our mission in the educational model which we created and sustained at New Hall since our return from exile in Liège in 1799.”
Categories: New Hall School School News
