A year of celebration marking the 150th anniversary of Alexandra College, Dublin, began yesterday evening (January 21)
with a special service in Christ Church Cathedral. The cathedral was filled with past and present students, staff, parents and friends of the Milltown school. The Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson presided while the Bishop of Copenhagen, the Right Revd Peter Skov–Jackobsen preached.
Alexandra College was founded in 1866 by educationalist Anne Jellicoe and was the first college in Ireland to provide a university type education for women. It was named after Princess Alexandra of Denmark.
Introducing the service the principal of Alexandra College, Barbara Ennis, said they were celebrating the 150th anniversary of an institution that paved the way for the education of women in Ireland. She paid tribute to the bravery of Anne Jellicoe in setting up an educational facility for women at a time when it was considered that bonnets and brains were not compatible.
“She was an enabler of women. She afforded them the opportunity to move forward and the opportunity of education. What began on 11 October 1866 was the beginning of a movement that we cannot forget today,” Ms Ennis stated.
The present day school has an incredible atmosphere, the principal stated. She said it has a great energy, a sense of fun and of enjoying learning. Innovation is at the core of the school’s teaching and the students do well academically. But the focus is also on the person and she praised the relationships between students and their teachers.
“We encourage the students to be free, to have a voice, to lead. We provide opportunities for them to be the best that they can be and make their contribution to society in whatever way that may turn out to be. We want them to know that their lives matter and what they do counts,” Ms Ennis said.
Haili
ng from the birthplace of Princess Alexandra, Bishop Skov–Jackobsen, observed that they were celebrating the education of women. He said that in founding Alexandra College, Anne Jellicoe was ensuring that women could be part of future society but also sought to focus on the whole human being.
He related Alexandra College’s pioneering education of women to the story of Mary Magdalene who arriving at Jesus’ tomb found his body missing. The angel told her to go and tell the disciples and she was confused and uncertain. “It is this love, uncertainty, doubt, confusion in which Christianity has its roots. We have had 2,000 years in which to get used to this. We frame the events with words but the words don’t always express the mystery,” he said. “In 1866 I am sure that that the founding mothers of Alexandra College had an idea of what happened 2,000 years ago. They will have known the story of Mary Magdalene. They were aware of the scandal of the Gospel of John in which a woman brought the news of Jesus’ resurrection to the disciples.”
The Bishop encouraged the congregation to do as Mary Magdalene did – to be baffled and to weep and laugh in exaltation. He said this was important as we live in worrying times, scared of terror and war, hatred and politics, extremists with no compassion.
Past pupil and chairperson of the London branch of the alumnae, Eva Bangle, spoke of her days in Alexandra College in the 1960s and the educational and personal opportunities that she grasped with both hands. Current head girl, Julie Ryan, spoke of today’s school community which allows each student to flourish. She said that the ethos of the school remained the same as when it was founded by Anne Jellicoe.
Archbishop Jackson brought the service to a close saying that in a world of flux, the sense of stability at the heart of the story of Alexandra College was a gift. He thanked the principal for drawing the community together to mark the start of the 150th anniversary year and the pupils who contributed to the evening. He also thanked the cathedral for accommodating the service, the Precentor, Canon Neil McEndoo, and Bishop Skov–Jackobsen for preaching and giving a tangible connection with Copenhagen and the Royal family in Denmark.