A prestigious and fiercely contested Catholic secondary school competition will be held at Sacred Heart College Napier for the first time in 16 years. 

O’Shea Shield is an annual event dating back to 1946 that involves students from the seventeen Catholic secondary schools throughout Wellington Archdiocese and Palmerston North Diocese including the three Hawke’s Bay Catholic schools – Sacred Heart College Napier, St. John’s College Hastings, and St Joseph's Māori Girls' College. 

Together they compete in eight events: Impromptu and prepared speech, oratory, debating, religious questions, scripture reading (Te Reo and English) and drama. 

Principal Maria Neville-Foster says it is really exciting to be hosting the competition. 

“It’s an absolute honour and privilege to welcome all our Catholic secondary schools to our school to show them manaakitanga and whanaungatanga here on Mataruahou (Napier Hill) especially after last year when we were due to host it.” 

Sacred Heart College Napier was due to host the competition last year but due to Cyclone Gabrielle, St Mary's College (Wellington) instead picked up hosting duties. 
Mrs Neville-Foster says they are grateful to St Mary’s for taking the competition last year in their time of need. 

It is one of New Zealand’s oldest intercollegiate competitions and has been held every year except for 1947 due to the Polio epidemic, and again in 2020 and 2022 due to COVID-19. 

Sacred Heart last hosted O’Shea Shield in 2008, at which time they won with Sacred Heart College Lower Hutt. They won it again in 2012 at Cullinane College in Whanganui and shared it with St. John’s College Hastings, who won it for the first time, 

“Being able to host this year is a symbol of recovery. It gives us something to celebrate, it gives us something to enjoy, and it brings back connection for our community.” 

“Our parents are coming in to help, our PTA are on board, our Parish is helping. We have had lots of financial support through the community that we are grateful for and yet again it is a show of real human kindness in our world.”  

This year’s theme is ‘Sparks of Hope,’ drawn from the writing of Pope Francis. 

“It is in the meeting of hearts and minds through the O'Shea Shield that this message of hope is spread.

These sparks of hope, fuelling the fire, will travel back with all the young participants and ripple through the wider Catholic school community.” 

O'Shea Shield Coordinator Kathy Ryan, who has been involved with the competition since 1991, says there is something special about the competition, named after Archbishop Thomas O’Shea. 

“The competition is quietly fierce. But I love the opportunity for the schools to come together, and to see them develop. There is some fabulous talent that comes through.” 
Work on this year’s competition began late last year, and preparations are building towards a successful few days from May 17-18. 

It will finish on the Saturday afternoon with Mass at St Patrick’s Church, followed by a prizegiving. Bishop John Adams, of the Palmerston North Diocese, will attend. 

“There is a similarity but there is always an individuality to each school that hosts it. There is their own kaupapa, their own tikanga and how things work for them, and you get a wonderful sense of that.” 
While the competition is steeped in Catholic tradition, Mrs Neville-Foster says it brings the whole community together. 

“It is bigger than the Catholic schools. It also allows our wider community to be involved and get enjoyment from a special competition like O’Shea Shield.” 
Havelock North High School will debate as the 18th school to make the number of teams even. Teachers from Havelock North High School, Karamū High School and Napier Girls' High School will also help with the competition.

Whānau, friends and the wider community are invited to attend any one of the competitions. 

Article added: Monday 06 May 2024