This afternoon, on what would have been her 15th birthday, members of our St. Patrick's family, both past and present, gathered to honour the memory of a very special girl who we still hold dear in our hearts: Katie-Rose McKeown.
To reflect her playful nature and the love she brought to our school community, a beautiful new bench has been placed in our Adventure Playground, dedicated to Katie-Rose. Painted in her favourite colour of purple, it now sits surrounded by planters, symbolising a “living bench” that will grow and bloom in her memory.
Katie-Rose’s extended family, including her parents, Kevin and Una, and her older sister, Olivia; staff who worked closely with her; and members of our School Council joined together for a touching blessing led by Father Barry. Both Olivia and her sister, Grace, are fondly remembered as former pupils of our school. In that short period of time outside, so many happy memories of Katie-Rose were shared between her family and staff, and there was one thing present on every face when speaking of her - a smile.
This special tribute was made possible thanks to the incredible generosity of our neighbours and charitable supporters, McKinney Timber. This is just the latest example in a long list of contributions they have made to our school throughout the years. We are deeply grateful to Mr John McKinney and his staff, who designed, crafted, and installed the bench with such care and kindness. Our school and the McKeown family appreciate it greatly.
We know that this bench will be a place of reflection, comfort, and connection for all who visit. Katie-Rose will always be part of our school’s family.
Happy Birthday, Katie-Rose. We hope you like it.
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