Pupils from Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 at St Mary Magdalene School Bexhill recently had the opportunity to visit and explore all areas of St Mary Magdalene Church.
The children greatly enjoyed visiting the church outside the usual celebration of Mass, which allowed them time to explore the building more fully and deepen their understanding of its meaning and significance. During the visit, they took part in a guided tour and learned about the key areas of the church, strengthening both their knowledge and their spiritual awareness.
We are especially grateful to Mrs Surman, one of our Foundation Governors, who generously gave her time to lead the visits. She provided the pupils with an in-depth explanation of the Order of Mass and helped them to understand important practices and traditions of the Church. The children learned, for example, how and why we genuflect when passing the tabernacle, why the Gospel is proclaimed by a Priest or Deacon, and how the Sacrament of Reconciliation is celebrated.
Mrs Surman also shared insights into the saints and the rich symbolism found within the church. One particularly memorable detail for the pupils was discovering the meaning behind the pelican depicted on the altar — which you can just see in the first photo at the top of the page. Perhaps parishioners might like to ask the children if they can recall its significance.
We are thankful for the warm welcome extended to our pupils and for the continued support of our parish community in nurturing their faith and understanding.
The pelican is a powerful and ancient Christian symbol of Christ’s sacrificial love.
In medieval belief, it was said that in times of famine a mother pelican would wound her own breast to feed her young with her blood. While this isn’t biologically accurate, the image became a deeply meaningful symbol in Christian tradition.
Because of this legend, the pelican came to represent:
When you see a pelican depicted on or near an altar, it is usually shown feeding its chicks from its breast. The message is clear: Just as the pelican gives of itself to nourish its young, Christ gives Himself to nourish us in the Eucharist.
That is why the pelican is especially appropriate on an altar — the place where the Sacrifice of the Mass is made present and where we receive Holy Communion.
It’s a beautiful reminder that the Eucharist is not simply a symbol, but a gift of Christ’s total self-giving love.