While Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child spends this year celebrating 100 years of passage since its own founding in 1924, the school gathered in prayer on October 15, 2024, to also commemorate the founding day of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus (SHCJ). Responding to the request of Pope Gregory XVI, Cornelia Connelly founded SHCJ over 178 years ago in Derby, England. 

The apt and joyous theme of the service was “Planting Seeds of Faith in God’s Garden.” With references to the prophet Ezekiel planting a twig that turned into a mighty cedar and the parable of the tiny mustard seed that grows into the most extensive garden, the service was an excellent reflection on the international growth of the SHCJ.

In her introductory remarks to fellow students, Campus Ministry Council President Ellie McCabe ’25 said, “From the start, Cornelia and the sisters were dedicated to children’s education, ensuring that both girls and boys had the opportunity to learn and grow. Wherever they went, the sisters opened schools, worked in parishes, and cultivated exceptional teachers. One of those places is Oak Knoll, which began 100 years ago as a small seed and has blossomed into a school committed to the education and growth of each child.”

In addition to a moving performance by the Liturgical Dancers to the song “Seeds of Faith,” the service included an often touching and sometimes amusing video on the same theme. From world peace to watermelons, and from beauty flowers to broccoli, a plethora of students from Pre-K to Grade 12 took the role of God’s gardeners and stewards of his creation to answer the question, “If you were to plant seeds of faith in God’s garden, what would you want to grow?”

Following the prayer service, our community witnessed another powerful testament to growth as Lower School Religion Coordinator/Grade 3 Religion Teacher and After-School Program Director Patti Cepparulo committed to becoming an associate of the SHCJ. Associates are men and women who want to deepen their relationship with God and the Society and help others recognize God’s presence and action in their lives and the world.

Sister Cynthia H. Vives, SHCJ, former head of Oak Knoll School, and Tricia Fell, member of the Associates Core Team, conducted the commitment ceremony.

“Drawn by the Spirit of the Holy Child Jesus and inspired by the vision of Cornelia Connelly, I wish to deepen my commitment to Christ Jesus through a closer association with the Society of the Holy Child Jesus and to accept its mission as my own,” Cepparulo recited in her commitment statement.

Congratulations to Miss Cepparulo for setting a solid example of the countless opportunities, both tiny and gigantic, that we can seize every day to grow in faith.