Collective Worship

Form Time Prayer

Prayer during form time is as important as any lesson in a Catholic School. As The respect and thought which is put into our form time prayer by both pupils and staff is of equal importance as the planning we put into our lessons.

During form time each day pupils and staff come together to pray before we do anything else. The candle is lit and the lights are turned off in order to create a prayerful atmosphere. This reminds us of the importance of prayer in our daily lives and it is the foundation we set for the rest of the school day.

Please see below some samples of our form time prayers:

The Examen Prayer

The Examen is a prayer created by St. Ignatius, which gives us a structure for reflection on our daily experiences, and seeing where God has been. In our lives we are constantly busy and sometimes this can be a bit overwhelming. Praying the Examen gives us the time and space to reflect on our lives whilst gaining a perspective.

During lesson 4 each day in school, pupils and staff take part in our daily Examen prayer. Please see below some examples of this

Staff Briefing

Staff come together three mornings a week to pray. This prayer is led by either staff or pupils. It is always vibrant, varied and thought-provoking. Each member of staff is invited to take part in our daily prayers and reflections. This can include video clips, songs, prayers and special times of reflection.

Eucharist

As Catholics, we believe that the Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith: it is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Pope Francis has called it the "Sacrament of Love":

"The Eucharist is at the heart of 'Christian initiation', together with Baptism and Confirmation, and it constitutes the source of the Church’s life itself. From this Sacrament of love, in fact, flows every authentic journey of faith, of communion, and of witness."

Introduction

As a Catholic school we use different symbolic objects to help us to pray. A cross or crucifix reminds us of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection . We also, light a candle during our prayer times to create the right atmosphere to feel the presence of God. The liturgical life of the school helps both pupils and staff to encounter the Holy Spirit at work in their families, their parish community and in the life of the wider Church and the world. The richness of the signs and symbols of Catholic faith celebrate in a unique way the community's sharing in the life of God.

School Chapel

Our school chapel is at the heart of the school. This is used for our fortnightly mass, but it is also as a place of quiet reflection. The chapel is open each day and pupils and staff are welcome to spend time there.

Catholic Life in Form Rooms

Each form room has a display which includes a crucifix, the school prayer, an image of their form saint and the school virtues. There is also a small table with the liturgical colour of the year, a small crucifix, bible and candle. This is used as a focal point for times of prayer during form time and for lesson four where pupils take part in our daily Examen. This all contributes to our Catholic distinctiveness.

Stations of the Cross

During Lent we asked five of our amazingly talented Year 10 pupils to create artwork based on the stations of the cross. The pupils excelled themselves and their artwork has now been turned into A1 boards which are now displayed in St John Paul II building, in the centre of the school community for our pupils to enjoy for many years to come.

Our parents, carers, parishioners and the community are always invited and offered a warm welcome when they visit our school for mass

All Saints day Mass

Pupils and staff were invited to attend our Mass for the Feast of All Saints. Over 92 pupils attended along with parishioners, parents, staff and Fr. Mark. If we are in school for a Holy Day of Obligation all pupils and staff are invited to attend our voluntary masses. It is always lovely to see so many people in the school chapel.

End of Year Mass

Every year we celebrated our End of Year Mass as a whole school community with Fr Mark, governors, parents and parishioners.

We use drama, singing, music and readings all led by our incredible pupils. From times of clapping, singing and pure joy, to moments of silence and reflection, the Mass truly is the perfect way to end our school year together.

Saints Day Masses

During the course of the year, all pupils and staff take an active role in preparing their saint’s day masses. For example, all of St. Bede form groups in Year 7-11 would celebrate mass together. They do this by preparing readings, choosing suitable music, creating pieces of drama, choosing altar servers, preparing artwork and writing their own bidding prayers. Families and parishioners are also invited to share in these special masses. These masses are vibrant and are an opportunity for staff and pupils to connect with the local parish communities and share their gifts, talents and faith with others.

St Bede's Mass

Thank you to all the parents, carers, parishioners and Fr Ollie for joining us for our special Mass this afternoon.

A huge thanks to all the St Bede pupils and tutors for preparing such a beautiful Mass, especially the readers, singers and artists!

You make us proud everyday!

St Bede Feast Day

We celebrated is the Feat Day of our Patron Saint, St Bede.

We spent time in our afternoon reflecting on the life of St Bede and his impact on our school.

We also shared a special prayer written by Year 9 St Bede.

St Patrick's Mass

Thank you to all the parents, carers, parishioners and Fr Mark for joining us for our special Mass this afternoon.

A huge thanks to all the St Patrick pupils and tutors for preparing such a beautiful Mass, especially the readers, singers and artists!

You make us proud everyday!

Ascension Thursday

Today we celebrated Jesus’ ascension into heaven, his crowning, and the lifting up of us all, with all we are and all our journey, sharing in love and glory

Thank you to all the pupils who attended Mass this morning, to our readers and to Fr Ollie for joining us!

#thisishowwedoithere

Introduction to our school Liturgies

A liturgy is a prayer in the form of collective worship. We offer a variety of liturgies depending on the time in the liturgical year; for example, reconciliation services and liturgies during Advent and Lent.

These times provides the pupils and staff with an opportunity to pray and reflect in the presence of Christ. Liturgies and assemblies are an excellent opportunity to come together as a school community, along with the exploration of different topics like praying for those in need, and learning about topical events that we are urged to pray about and for.

Each half term, our assemblies and liturgies focus on a different pairing of the school Virtues, for example “Compassionate and Respect”. This ensures all liturgies are following our schools Catholic Ethos and they include the scripture readings of the liturgical calendar.

Below you will see samples of our school liturgies

Friday Liturgy

Every Friday morning, we have a whole school liturgy. This is prepared by individual form groups and their form teachers. Pupils create a welcome, reflection on the scripture and write their own Bidding Prayers. This is then uploaded onto Teams and sent to all staff every Friday morning, so that the whole school can access it on a Friday Form time. Our Friday morning liturgies are very important as this a special time when the whole school is praying together at the same time.

Holocaust Memorial 2023

We came together as a school community to commemorate this important day. We began with a liturgy, a time of prayer and reflection. This was followed by our exhibition where every department was represented. Our departments were tasked with reflecting on the theme of Holocaust Memorial Day 2023 "ordinary people" and creating a exhibition piece which linked the theme to their subject area. However, it is important to note that this monumental achievement was not just the work of our amazing staff, but was driven by our pupils who have given up break times, lunch times and afterschool to create the fantastic pieces of art which were on show.

The theme of Holocaust Memorial Day 2023 was 'ordinary people', we reflect on how we are all ordinary people who can be extraordinary in our actions. We can all make decisions to challenge prejudice, stand up to hatred, to speak out against identity-based persecution, to shop responsibly

This evening was opportunity for us to remember the millions of people who were murdered at the hands of the Nazis and during other horrendous acts of genocide but also serve as a reminder to us all of the role we can play in ensuring we never see the likes again.

Year 11 Leavers Celebration Liturgy

We are so proud to have been able to celebrate the achievements of our Year 11 pupils, both academically and holistically.

As Year 11 leave school and embark on the next phase of their journey, we want to take a moment to wish them the best in your future endeavours. You have been an amazing group of pupils, and we are proud of all that you have accomplished.

Remember that this is just the beginning, and there are endless possibilities waiting for you. Believe in yourself, work hard and never give up on your dreams. Pursue what you are passionate about, and don't be afraid to take risks. You have the power to make a difference in the world.

We know that you will do great things, and we can't wait to see all that you will achieve. Thank you for being a part of our school community, and we wish you a bright and successful future.

Our worship choir come together once a week to learn new songs and to spend time in prayer and worship. They have been asked to perform at many diocesan events including the School Summer Festival and the St John Paul II Awards. We are so fortunate to have these gifted pupils within our school community and we thank them for enhancing all of our school services and daily lives.

Twice a year during Lent and Advent, our school chaplain prepares our young people to lead others in a time of special prayer and reflection. Pupils welcome staff and their peers into the chapel. During prayer partners, a simple prayer is said, before the pupils trace the sign of the cross onto the palm of another pupil or member of staff before leaving the chapel. These are very special times within our school community and offer key moments to stop, pray and reflect.