The formal ceremony was capped off with a treat for students and faculty later in the day.
On Monday, October 24, Fr. Donald Reilly, O.S.A. was officially installed as the fourteenth Head of School at Malvern Prep. Headmasters from other schools, members of the Board of Trustees, faculty, guests, and students in the Middle and Upper School were in attendance.
The induction ceremony was held inside the O’Neill Center Gymnasium after first period. Students walked in by class across a red carpet spread out across the gymnasium floor, while faculty members processed by academy group.
Fr. Reilly sat on stage accompanied by headmasters of other schools, Malvern Borough Manager Christopher Bashore, faculty members, members of Student Council, as well as senior Andrew Brady and sixth grader Nicholas Wehmeyer, who served as Masters of Ceremonies.
The welcoming remarks of the ceremony were given by the youngest student attending Malvern, sixth grader George Bannon, as a symbol of the future of Malvern Prep. Reverend Robert J. Murray, Head of School at Saint Augustine’s Prep, lead the school in the opening prayer of the induction.
The students, faculty, and others present then participated in a reflection led by Prior Provincial of the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova, Fr, Michael DiGregorio, O.S.A.
Fr. Reilly made installation promises to the students, parents, alumni, and faculty of Malvern Prep. Each promise was introduced by Malvern constituents, including Dean of Faculty Coaching and Development Mrs. Beverly Gordon, Student Council President Liam McKnight ’18, and Director of Augustinian Identity Fr. Christopher Drennen, O.S.A. ’73.
Fr. Reilly was then officially sworn in as the fourteenth Head of School of Malvern Prep, and was presented with the Malvern Preparatory School Seal and Medallion.
The medallion, which was newly designed this year, represents knowledge, faith, and charity. Additionally, it represents the warmth and spread of Christianity, learning, fortitude of faith, peace, and eternity of Augustinian values, according to the program provided at the installation.
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Liturgical Music sings We are One Body during Father Reilly's Installation Mass. pic.twitter.com/zNbHwRM4KW
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) October 23, 2017
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Father Reilly officially recognized as the 14th Head of School @MalvernPrep with a standing ovation. pic.twitter.com/5eN7AU59bW
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) October 23, 2017
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In his Installation Address, Fr. Reilly spoke of the life of Saint Augustine, how it can relate to everyone in the Malvern community’s everyday lives, and how throughout his life Augustine “transcended the ordinary.”
Reilly also discussed Augustine’s passion for knowledge, learning, the truth, and his resilience to keep searching throughout his life for the answers that eluded him. He mentioned how Malvern values community, friendship, and brotherhood in its individuals.
He also discussed the importance of Malvern’s Venn Diagram, which includes global awareness, Augustinian identity, and entrepreneurship. Fr. Reilly equates each component of the venn diagram to one of the Augustinian values. He described global awareness equating to unity, Augustinian identity equating to truth, and entrepreneurship equating to love.
Fr. Reilly’s installation address clocked in at 37 minutes.
Fr. James Flynn, O.S.A. closed the ceremony with an Irish prayer and blessing.
As his first act as Head of School, Father Reilly used the loudspeaker during the last period of the school day to declare November 6, 2017 as a school holiday and gave Malvern faculty, staff, students the day off.
As one can imagine, students were ecstatic.
“It was a good ceremony I guess, it was very well done,” junior Zhengguo Hao said. “Sitting on the bench and bleachers was very tiring and uncomfortable. But, we got the day off which is of course a good thing,”
“Yeah no complaints about the ceremony, and the day off? Come on, you have to like that,” junior Patrick Durkan said.
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Via announcement during 5th period, Fr. Reilly thanked students by announcing a Head of School Holiday on Mon. Nov. 6 @MalvernPrep pic.twitter.com/d9uZlmY2dZ
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) October 23, 2017
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"The academy model is when students are treated as individual in a greater community of learning." -Father Reilly
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) October 23, 2017
"For you I am Head of School, but with you I am a fellow learner and teacher." – Father Reilly
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) October 23, 2017
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