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By Kieran McDaid
Bishop of Down and Connor Patrick Walsh visited Holy Cross primary school yesterday to show support for the pupils and staff.
Speaking at the entrance to the school, Bishop Walsh said he felt a “tremendous sense of revulsion” at the reception the school children had received on Monday morning.
“This sort of protest must stop. The school must be allowed to function properly and then those people in positions of responsibility must be able to come together,” he said.
“I love Belfast and I love the people – but it’s just terrible to see parts of Belfast being torn apart.”
During his visit, Bishop Walsh met parents and played with the children in the schoolyard.
He refused to instruct parents to take their children to school via an alternative route, but insisted it was their responsibility to ensure a safe passage.
“They must make up their own minds. I am sure they will do all they can for the good of their children,” he said.
Holy Cross principal Anne Tanney said the bishop’s visit had given staff and parents a real lift.
“We are delighted that the bishop has visited us and we feel much better now that he has arrived,” she said.
“It was obviously much better today. The children arrived into school smiling and prepared to go into class without parents. But it’s certainly not a normal situation and we don’t want that to happen again.
“Adults don’t realise what they’re doing to the children – people should treat them with care because they are so precious.”
A mother who took her two children to the school via the security corridor on Ardoyne Road said parents “really appreciated” the bishop’s support.
Judy Haughey – mother of Cora and Lucilla, and a former pupil of the school herself – said: “It gave us a great boost to hear that the Church was totally behind us. He (Bishop Walsh) prayed with us and praised us for being so strong. He also praised the teachers – who have been brilliant.”
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