A Garden Paschal Candle Chapel

The years 7 and 8 are moving slowly back into general school life at St Hilda’s College in Dunedin. For two weeks first they are staying at the Theological College wing of Knox College and immersing themselves in learning about WW1, complete with learning a range of skills pertinent to that time: how to cross-stitch, how to march, how to use Semaphore and other fascinating activities.

Gillian, the Chaplain, is meeting with the girls at the Botanical Gardens for their weekly chapel service. Gillian would normally start term 2 with a chapel based around the Paschal Candle, so has decided to do that with a twist in a garden setting. They will meet in the Herb Garden, by a little pond an fountain, and after the introduction girls will be invited to pick a tiny sprig of a herb and smell it, thinking of the herbs that the women took to the tomb. They will have a “Blessing of the Garden”, and move onto learning about the Candle. Did you know that these candles are often baptised?! After praying a section on “Water of Renewal and Hope”, each student will be able to light a tealight candle and float it in the pond. As Gillian says, hopefully both “fun and meaningful!”

Her complete service can be found here.