The Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Rt Rev Andrew Forster, brought a number of ‘furry friends’ with him when he visited Gartan National School in Donegal, this morning, along with the Rector of Conwal with Gartan, Rev David Houlton. It was the latest in a series of school visits Bishop Andrew’s making to schools throughout the Diocese of Raphoe.
The pupils and their teachers laid on a special assembly for the Bishop, who’s a patron of Gartan N.S. It included a number of hymns performed by junior and senior pupils, and prayers led by the seniors.
Bishop Andrew used a number of puppets as props to preach to the children about the Parable of the Lost Sheep, explaining to them how important each one of them was in the eyes of God. He also thanked the teaching staff, telling them that they – like healthcare workers – were among the ‘heroes’ of the pandemic, for the way in which they had performed their duties over the two years of the Covid crisis.
The Bishop and Rev Houlton were given a guided tour of the new extension to Gartan N.S. which is still under construction. The extension will double the school’s size when it reopens after the summer holidays.
