HABERDASHERS’ Monmouth School recently gathered to honour their patron saint – Catherine of Alexandria.

The annual St Catherine’s Day service was “an uplifting celebration of tradition, faith and togetherness”.

Students processed from school to St Mary’s Priory Church, accompanied by the chapel choir, and were welcomed at the gate by Monmouth town crier Matt Backhouse.

Matt delivered the St Catherine’s Day Proclamation, marking the November 25 Feast Day across Monmouth and around the world.

The proclamation celebrated Saint Catherine as a holy and learned woman, steadfast in her faith and remembered through her traditional symbols of “the wheel, the book, the crown and the sword”.

It also recognised her as the patron saint of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers.

There were many guests at the event, including the High Sheriff of Gwent Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Griffin, Under Sheriff Natalie Sandercock, governor Dr Ruth Weeks, the Chair of Monmouthshire County Council Mr Peter Strong, Annabel Cracknel-Jones (Joint Chair of the Alumni Association), and Clare Cameron, the rector of St Mary‘s.

Haberdashers’ Chaplain, Mother Alycia Timmis, opened the service followed by readings which began with the head chapel prefect reading from Revelation 21:5-7.

Melvyn Roffe, Head of School, delivered the second reading from Matthew 10:28-33, before a third reading from an extract from CS Lewis’ The Great Divorce.

The school welcomed the Rt Revd Gregory Cameron, Bishop of Asaph, who then gave the St Catherine’s Day Address.

He reflected on Saint Catherine’s qualities as a champion of faith and a protector of people from all walks of life, including scholars, philosophers, students, teachers, unmarried women, apologists, librarians, lawyers, archivists, jurists, potters, weavers and crafters.

He spoke about the importance that she placed on knowledge, skills and attitude.

The chapel choir sang Haydn’s Insane et Vanae Curae with beauty, before prayers were led by the Chaplaincy Chapel Prefects.

Together they said The Lord’s Prayer, the Haberdashers’ Prayer and the Latin chant for St Catherine’s Day.

At the end of the service there were proceedings taken in aid of the Monmouth’s Mayor’s Fund to support residents who were affected by the devastating flooding.

Saint Catherine of Alexandri was martyred in the early 4th century at the age of 18 at the hands of the emperor Maxentius.

According to historical claims, she was both a princess and a noted scholar who became a Christian around the age of 14, converting hundreds of people to Christianity.

Traditions include French "Catherinettes" (young unmarried women) wearing elaborate yellow and green hats, English "Cattern Cakes" being baked, and its connection to milliners and lace-makers.

St. Catharine's College, Cambridge was founded on St Catharine's Day (25 November) 1473 by Robert Woodlark (provost of King's College, Cambridge), who sought to create a small community of scholars who would study exclusively theology and philosophy.

Her principal symbol is the spiked wheel, which has become known as the Catherine wheel, and which gives its name to the firework which rotates with sparks flying off in all directions.