This Easter will be a stark contrast to the experiences of 2020, however students at Tenison Woods College have been able to mark a relatively normal Lenten Season participating in a variety of activities and learning why Easter is such a significant time for Catholics.

Each Easter, Year 5 students participate in a competition where they are asked to design a drawing to appear on the sacred Paschal candles, which are used in the college chapel and at St Paul’s Church. For Catholics, the candle is a powerful symbol of a pillar of fire and a reminder that “Christ is our Light”.

This year the winning artwork was designed by students Jessica Oxlade and Chloe Chiesa (pictured), with one candle to be lit for the first time at the Easter Vigil Mass at St Paul’s Church on Easter Saturday. The college’s Religious Education Coordinator Chloe Shanahan recalls the challenges of last Easter, when churches were locked and no ceremonies held.

“For the faithful, it was an Easter like never before,” she said. “With the easing of restrictions this year, it gives us all the more reason to remember Jesus and the pain and suffering he endured and celebrate his resurrection.”