A “Legacy of the Light” ceremony in the school’s assembly hall marked the passage. It was a nostalgic moment for Sisters Brenda, Carolyn and Margaret, who taught at the school over past decades. They were accompanied by Sisters Maureen, Anne and Clare, who joined students, staff and governors for the event.
Headteacher Steven Jeffery spoke on behalf of the new ownership. Reflecting on more than 160 years of Sion educational ethos, he expressed his deep appreciation for the heritage the sisters have shaped and affirmed the school’s commitment to carrying Sion’s light into the future.
To symbolise the handover, Sisters Maureen and Clare lit candles after the speeches from Mr Jeffery and the Head Students, and a young pianist offered a moving performance of Chopin.
The ceremony marked not only the transfer of ownership but also a renewed promise: that the core values of dialogue, inclusivity and service upon which the sisters founded the school will continue to inform its life and mission.
For the sisters, seeing these values received and carried forward was a moment of profound reassurance. As they entrusted the “flame of Sion” to the next generation, they did so with confidence that what began in 1862 will continue to inspire young people for many years to come.
Our Lady of Sion Worthing, with its special Charism, was my first teaching post from 1968–1976. I taught Home Economics and enjoyed it very much. For a short time, I also taught Scripture. These were good years and great young people, who taught me so much. Most years there was a trip abroad to France and I was often asked to help.
I enjoyed being responsible for my own class and getting to know the pupils on a day-to-day basis.
During my time Sr Elsie, Sr Estelle, and Sr Brenda St Laurence were Headmistresses, and Sr Una was always “just there”, very special and respected and loved by the students. It was a time of change and development, before appointing our first Headmaster. A new venture started, and it still continues today. I wish the school every success as it continues, the Sion charism in secure hands.
Sr Brenda Dorrian, NDS
As a member of staff at Our Lady of Sion Worthing, I found the same message from Father Theodore that I had received as a child in our Lady of Sion School in a Bayswater: to love one another and respect each one.
I knew I was “walking with a gathering of sisters over many years”. As I attended the “Liturgy of the Light” I was acutely aware of all those sisters who had gone before me and carried the Light, and there was a tinge of sadness and delight that a new chapter was beginning in the Worthing School. May they be true to our precious charism.
Sr Carolyn Wicks, NDS
Our Sion Worthing school and (former) Worthing Community of NDS sisters are of great personal importance to me. In 1969, I finished my noviciate there, as we were, by then, only two novices and had moved with our Novice Mistress, Sr Marijohn, from the larger noviciate house in Acton Burnell, Shropshire. In Worthing we lived in a small cottage near the school which was fondly known as “Mullingar”, as the Bishop of Mullingar used to stay there, back in the day. I went on to make my first, three-year and final vows in the Worthing chapel.
I taught English and Religious Education in the school – teaching our current wonderful Chair of Governors, Katy Henwood! When one child remarked that we never put on plays, I took up her challenge and, with no former experience of doing so, put on Toad of Toad Hall and The Government Inspector. Thankfully, both went well, but only with the commitment of the students and an enormous amount of help from the staff.
I loved my days in Worthing but then asked if I could do further Jewish studies and left in 1977 to study Rabbinics at the Leo Baeck College in London where women and men trained to be rabbis. I was the only Christian there and, of course, did not get ordained (!), but such deep involvement in Jewish learning and friendship within the Jewish community determined the rest of my life in carrying out Sion’s special charism of fostering Jewish-Christian dialogue.
Although we no longer have a Community in Worthing or any sisters teaching in the school, I am confident that our precious Sion charism is safe in the hands of our Headmaster, Governors and staff. It is so encouraging to know this and to have experienced this handing on of the Legacy and Light of Sion.
Sr Margaret Shepherd, NDS
Dear Sisters of Our Lady of Sion,
It is with profound joy and gratitude that we welcome you to Our Lady of Sion School.
Today, we pause to honour the extraordinary foundation you laid here in 1862 – a foundation that continues to guide and inspire us.
Though the sisters no longer teach or govern at the school, the light you first kindled shines in every corner of our community. This is not a distant memory, but a living reality. Every student who walks our halls, every teacher who nurtures and inspires, past, present, and future, carries forward that enduring Legacy of the Light.
Your generosity has shaped the life of this school in so many ways. By enabling us to purchase the school buildings from you, you gave us the stability to flourish and the freedom to continue this mission – a reminder that your care and vision remain with us.
As one Sister has reflected, the call to serve begins in the search for identity and purpose, a desire to “serve others with God under my skin”.
That call, nurtured and shaped by the Sionian charism, becomes a lifelong journey, woven into the very fabric of who we are. Here at Sion, we see that call alive in every child’s curiosity, every teacher’s dedication, and every member of our community who seeks to embody love, understanding, and faith in daily life.
We strive to reflect the true nature of your charism by welcoming all – people of every religion, or none. We encourage our young people and colleagues to encounter the numinous, the ineffable, and the wonders of life in ways that are authentic to themselves. We do not seek to convert, but to celebrate our diversity, enjoy peaceful dialogue, and grow together in understanding.
In this spirit, we recognise that each of us has a special mission – an individual call to live with kindness, selfless service, and purpose. It is our joy to explore and develop that mission, learning from one another and journeying together toward lives of meaning and impact.
The ethos of Sion – the call to be a light in the world – continues to guide us. In every classroom, in every act of kindness, the light you first lit shines on. It grows, it multiplies, it lives in each of us. Every student, every teacher, every member of this community is part of that Legacy of the Light.
Thank you for your vision, your courage, and your love. We are proud to continue the mission you began, confident that the Legacy of the Light will illuminate hearts and minds, in all their diversity, for generations to come.
This ceremony aims to help us focus on the beauty, power, and relevance of the light of Sion – a flame that has endured challenges over the years but has never been extinguished.
The flame of Sion has purpose, and it offers hope and help – that is why it continues to burn even now.
Thank you for it. We carry it with honour and respect and may that always be true.
Mr Steven Jeffery
Headteacher
Our Lady of Sion Worthing