From the Cornelian Association

The Cornelian Association (CA), represents pupils from St Leonards, Mayfield, and from other former SHCJ schools such as Combe Bank and Harrogate, and maintains links with Mayfield in a number of ways. These include organising the annual Cornelian Association Awards, and supporting the charitable works undertaken by Mayfield School and the SHCJ. This year, the CA is donating £1,000 to WEFA (Water and Education for Africa), one of the School's chosen charities, as well as prizes for the Cornelian Association Awards. In recent years, the CA has also made donations to support refugees in East Sussex through ‘Voices in Exile’; supported literacy for underprivileged children near Killiney, Ireland; supported the Alzheimer’s Society; supported SHCJ missionary education in the Dominican Republic for the Well Baby Clinic, and hurricane relief work; supported SHCJ charitable work in Africa and the ‘Step into the Gap’ programme run in conjunction with CAFOD; assisted ‘Bliss’ for babies born prematurely or sick; made donations for Masses for deceased old girls and donations for the Head Girl’s Prize; as well as supporting individual girl’s music lessons, school trips, and the construction of the Sixth Form Centre.

We are also working with Mayfield’s Lay Chaplain, Ronan Lavery, to ensure that deceased old girls are prayed for by the School and remembered at Mass regularly.

Cornelia Connelly

In mid-February, we learned of an application by the SHCJ leadership in Rome to exhume Mother Connelly from her resting place in Mayfield Chapel in order to send some of her remains to the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, Philadelphia. The Society believed that by being in the Cathedral, Cornelia’s life, legacy and her charism would have the potential to be recognised, seen and shared by a larger number of people. However, many were dismayed at this suggestion in terms of the potential damage to the Chapel (a Grade 1 listed building), the cost of such an exercise, and whether or not this was at all necessary to advance her cause for canonisation.

The Cornelian Association, as the representative of Old Cornelians around the world, created a Facebook group, ‘Cornelia Remains’, which brought together over 600 OCs, and many more were also contacted through our existing personal networks beyond Facebook. Certainly, the group has been a positive example of the power of social media! We are relieved to report that the application has been withdrawn and we are sincerely grateful to the SHCJ leadership for listening to the many genuine concerns raised, and for revisiting their decision.

A debt of gratitude also goes to those among the OC body who used their expertise as engineers, surveyors, archaeologists, journalists, councillors, theologians and historians to inform responses to the Historic Churches Commission, the Ministry of Justice and the press. Particular thanks must go to Sue Gaisford (née Speak), who gave so freely of her journalistic skills - speaking with diplomacy while at the same time conveying so eloquently the strength of feeling from within both the OC and the local Mayfield community.

Above all, we are deeply indebted to every single person who gave their voice so readily. The resulting OC response was one of strength, faith and resolute passion. For many, it was the latter which they were surprised to find within themselves. The application exposed deep feelings of association with the SHCJ and Cornelia Connelly and this is something the Cornelian Association looks to build on going forward. The Chapel remains a sacred space for Holy Child Sisters, the School, OCs and all those with Mayfield associations, and with the help of the SHCJ representatives and the School, we are seeking ways to develop a renewed dialogue and relationship between the SHCJ and OCs. The SHCJ are proud of the long tradition of Holy Child life and mission at Mayfield and the way the School has always ensured its students love and live by Cornelian principles. We are delighted that the links between the School and the Society remain strong and the CA will do all in its power to ensure that they continue to do so as the school and OCs look for new ways to promote Cornelia's legacy going forward.

The Facebook group remains open and can be found here www.facebook.com/ corneliaremains. As well as documents relating to the original application, you will find many hundreds of welcoming OCs and an active discussion on how we can celebrate and promote the spirit of a Cornelian education for the benefit of all. Do please join us there. Alternatively, if you are not on Facebook but wish to find out further details and join the discussion, please email cornelianassociation@outlook.com.

Help needed ...

JOIN FELLOW OCS In terms of the CA Committee, we have recruited three new members in 2020. We meet several times a year (on zoom currently), and it is always lovely to come together and discuss plans for the best way to work with and support Mayfield and the current girls, and to decide on our annual donations to charities, both at Mayfield and in the wider SHCJ community.

If you benefited from a SHCJ education and would like to join us in helping to support the SHCJ and Mayfield in various endeavours today, please let us know. Commitment can be as little or as much as you can manage. It is a great way to remain connected with your alma mater and to contribute a little to that which gave us all so much. “Let us never think we have done enough” (Cornelia Connelly).

We are planning a Zoom meeting to which all are welcome. Let us know if you would like to join us. We look forward to hearing from you: please email: cornelianassociation150@gmail.com. CAN YOU HELP? We wish to revise our rules and would welcome assistance from someone with experience of working with the non-profit sector and an understanding of the legal aspects of this. Please get in touch if you would be willing and able to help by emailing cornelianassociation150@gmail.com.

Cornelian Association Awards

"Stunning, exciting, captivating, striking, fascinating, compelling, thrilling, delightful, inventive, inspired, amazing, impressive, and breath-taking" – these were just some of the adjectives used by the Cornelian Association Awards judges to describe entries to last year's anniversary competition for Years 7, 8 and 9. The competition theme was 'adventure', to be interpreted in a creative and imaginative way, and the girls certainly did not disappoint.

Entries included Alexa’s illustrated account of making an earthenware pot using clay dug from her garden, which she fired overnight in a sunken bonfire; Tabitha's nature video of Pennybridge Woods; Rebecca's book reviews from every continent; Elizabeth's lockdown diary; Phoebe’s board game linking trivial pursuit with the current academic syllabus; and Katie’s artwork of Alex Hannold, which showed a "remarkable talent for portraiture" and which won her the prize for best artwork. As with so many things, lockdown meant this year’s competition took place online, and, while we missed seeing the entries in person, and meeting the girls and their families at the prize-giving drinks reception, we thoroughly enjoyed seeing so much talent, imagination and ambition. We are, once again, incredibly grateful to OC Sue Gaisford (née Speak) for her expertise in judging the final entries.

Since its launch in 2013 as part of the 150th Anniversary celebrations, we have seen many exceptional submissions and we would like to extend our thanks to all the girls who have entered the Cornelian Association Awards over the years. On previous occasions, the girls’ entries have been displayed for the wider community to enjoy, and we hope that this will continue so that everyone can share in their achievements.