Diocesan inspection report said:
Pupils’ response to the present school prayer opportunities is outstanding, in terms of willingness to participate and a real sense of engagement in the life of the Spirit.’
Our Mission at St. Mary’s
Learning to live out our calling with compassion and love.
‘Christ has no body on earth but ours; ours are the hands through which He heals; ours are His eyes, His feet, His lips; ours are the hearts through which He loves.’
As part of our calling to carry out God’s work on earth, we seek to draw our inspiration from periods of worship and reflection. These spiritual moments are essential to build the strength needed to carry out our vocation in today’s world.
Collective Worship refers not only to whole school gatherings but to those acts of worship which take place in a number of different settings and groupings of people in and around the school:
Assembly
An assembly is a gathering of people. Strictly speaking, it is not a religious activity and is a means of communicating information to a group of people.
We take part in weekly assemblies where we reflect on the Sunday Gospel. We each write a mission task to show how we are going to live out our calling in relation to the Gospel reading.
Prayer and Liturgy
Liturgy is the worship lived and practiced by the Church. Liturgy encompasses all of the seasonal elements of the Church’s year (The Liturgical Year), the structure of daily prayer, specific rites such as the Funeral Mass and the celebration of the Sacraments. For schools, Liturgy is worship which incorporates elements of the rites and rituals, signs and symbols of the Church.
We conduct weekly worships in each classroom, with themes selected and planned by the children. Look at some examples of these below…
Prayer and Liturgy Gallery
We follow the four part structure of:
Mass
For Catholics, the Mass is central to practice of the faith. At Mass, the Last Supper is remembered but also recreated. Bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ. This belief (transubstantiation) is what distinguishes us from many other Christians. This sacrament is above all others because as members of the Church, “We receive the Body of Christ and are increasingly being transformed into the Body of Christ.”
Prayer
Deepen a personal relationship with God, prayer will help the pupils to become aware of God’s presence in their lives and of His love for them, by leading them to respond to Him.
Prayer Bags
We recently launched our wonderful prayer bags for children to take home each week and share in meaningful prayer and liturgies with their families. We ask that families try to link their prayer session to either something close to their hearts or the Liturgical Seasons.
Prayer and Liturgy Guidance
Amazing Examples of Home Liturgies
Year 1
Somdolma and Dougie
Year 2
Florence and Jack
Year 3
Jathusa and Sydney
Year 4
Elizabeth and Mason
Year 5
Janetta and Jeevan
Year 6
Kezia and Gab
✨ Year 6 Leavers’ Mass & Awards Ceremony ✨
Today, we came together to celebrate our wonderful Year 6 pupils with a special Leavers’ Mass and awards ceremony at Holy Trinity. It was a chance to reflect on their time at St Mary’s, recognise their amazing talents and wish them all the luck in the world as they take their next steps. 🎓🌟
We also took a moment to wish Mrs Ball and Mrs Di-Miceli a very happy retirement, thanking them for their years of hard work and dedication to St Mary’s. They will be greatly missed.
We’re so proud of everything our pupils have achieved. They’ll always be part of the St Mary’s family.
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🙏 Eucharistic Congress Day at St Mary’s 🙏
Today our school joined with others from across the deanery for a special Eucharistic Congress Day — a joyful celebration of faith friendship and community.
🙏 We began with a warm welcome from Archbishop Bernard who helped us understand the importance of the Eucharist and invited us to open our hearts to Jesus.
🕊️ Session 1 – Presence
We reflected on the lives of the saints and how they encountered God in their everyday lives. Inspired by them we created our own Romero crosses to show how we can live lives of hope and faith.
💖 Session 2 – Charity
We thought about Pope Francis’ call to cherish the elderly. The children made beautiful cards and artwork to give to someone elderly they know as a way of showing love and kindness.
🌍 Session 3 – Togetherness
We learned about the universal Church and how even though we are all different we are united in faith. The children made paper chain prayers to show that we are one family in God.
🕯️ Session 4 – Prayer
Using handmade prayer beads we were guided through a peaceful meditation based on the Sacred Heart of Jesus helping us to reflect and pray deeply.
We finished our day with an inspiring message from Fr Julian who shared his thoughts on the gift of the Eucharist and how it brings us closer to God and to one another.
The children took part with such thought care and joy — we are so proud of them all!
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Today, we celebrate the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, two great leaders of the early Church who shared the Good News of Jesus with courage and faith. Their lives remind us of the importance of trust in God and standing firm in our beliefs, even when it's difficult.
On Friday, the children took part in a special liturgy to commemorate this important feast day. Through prayer, song and reflection, they learned more about the lives of St Peter and St Paul and how we can follow their example in our daily lives.
Let us pray:
Lord God, you chose Peter to lead your Church and Paul to bring your message to the world. Help us to be strong in faith like them, to speak your truth with courage and to live with love in our hearts. Amen.
St Peter and St Paul, pray for us.
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✝️The Sacrament of the Eucharist ✝️
Today has been a truly special day for our St Mary's school community, as our children made their First Holy Communion.
Surrounded by family, friends and faith, they received the Body of Christ for the first time — a beautiful step in their journey with God.
We are so proud of each and every one of them.
Thank you to the families, parish and staff who have helped to prepare the children so thoughtfully and prayerfully for this sacred moment.
May God bless our communicants today and always. ✨🙏
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Year 1 invited their parents to take part in their class liturgy session. It was a lovely spiritual time for everyone to reflect on how they can show love and compassion to others. We were so grateful to the families who came to share this special time. #year1stm #prayerandliturgystm … See MoreSee Less
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Thank you to all of the parents that attended St. Stephen’s prayer and liturgy this afternoon. It was lovely to see you all. #catholilifestm #prayerandliturgystm … See MoreSee Less
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