by PETER OWENS
The Catholic Diocese of Dunedin is celebrating this year the 150th anniversary of its establishment. One of the highlights of the diocesan year is the Dunedin Diocese Catholic Secondary Colleges’ Public Speaking Competition.
This has always been keenly contested and 2019 was no exception.
With the competition this year being held at Verdon College, Invercargill, the four Catholic Colleges of the diocese — Verdon; St Peter’s College, Gore; Kavanagh College, Dunedin; St Kevin’s College, Oamaru, all took part in every section.
On August 11, Dunedin Bishop Michael Dooley announced Kavanagh College had won the Bishop’s Shield by one point from St Peter’s College.
This win was recognised as a major achievement for the college, which has had a difficult year with the tragic losses of its principal and a much-loved teacher as well as the death of a student of the college.
In his address to the students, Bishop Dooley urged them to continue and paid tribute to Tony Hanning, who is stepping down from organising the competition as he retires from his position as the director of Catholic education for the Catholic Diocese of Dunedin.
In his farewell speech, Mr Hanning also paid tribute to the competitors. He commended them for the happy and courteous spirit in which the Bishop’s Shield has been conducted over the years.
Results were as follows: JUNIOR DRAMA (Alpha Cup) – St Peter’s College;
SENIOR DRAMA (J B Lynch CFC Cup) – Kavanagh College; JUNIOR SCRIPTURE(Gerard Curran Cup) – Molly Colbert, Kavanagh College; SENIOR SCRIPTURE (Bishop Kavanagh Cup) – Lisa Satoro, Verdon College; SENIOR SCRIPTURE (Psalm/Sight Reading) (Nora Brophy Cup) – Lisa Satoro, Verdon College; IMPROMPTU SPEECH (Dowling Cup) – Ralph Stewart, Kavanagh College; PREPARED SPEECH (Hibernian Cup) – Emily Chamberlain, St Peter’s College; JUNIOR DEBATING (Coral Paris Trophy) – Kavanagh College; SENIOR DEBATING (Father Christopher Gaffey Cup) – St Kevin’s College; BEST SPEAKER IN JUNIOR DEBATES (Dominican Cup) Orla Kelly, Kavanagh College; BEST LEADER SENIOR DEBATES (Karen Austin Cup) – Cara Anderson, St Kevin’s College; BEST SPEAKER IN SENIOR DEBATES (Hibernian Cup) – Joel Kunnethedam, St Kevin’s College; MOST PROMISING SENIOR DRAMATIC PERFORMANCE (Boyce Family Cup) – Emily Kerr-Bell, Kavanagh College; MOST PROMISING JUNIOR DRAMATIC PERFORMANCE (Terry Angus Cup)Noah Calvert-Shandley, Verdon College; RUNNER-UP FOR THE BISHOP’S SHIELD: (Marist Centennial Plate) – St Peter’s College; WINNER OF THE BISHOP’S SHIELD 2019: Kavanagh College.
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