Chaplaincy

The Seasons and celebrations of the Church and School calendars work hand in hand and are marked with a wide variety of Masses and services. These are coordinated by the Chaplaincy and provide opportunities for whole school, small group and personal celebration, reflection and prayer.

Daily Prayer Slides are used each morning in tutor groups incorporating Scripture, Prayer and Mission.

Supported by their Form Tutors, students create a Form Collective Worship which is delivered in the daily year group assembly. These collective worship experiences follow the structure of Welcome, Word, Worship and Witness. Students are encouraged to be creative in their worship, engaging their peers in thoughtful and meaningful spiritual experiences, rooted in the Bible and relevant to their lives today. Each Form explores one of our school values as follows;

Year 7 – Love – love of others, Christ and oneself and how this can be demonstrated through action and prayer; the eternal and unconditional love God has for each of us.

Year 8 – Respect – respect for others, God’s many creations, the environment and oneself; recognising how precious each of us are in God’s eyes, each of us made in God’s image and quite unique.

Year 9 – Service – putting our faith into action by looking for ways we can serve others in our families, school, wider community and beyond; learning from the example Jesus set us as the servant king.

Year 10 – Joy – recognising the joy God intended each of us to experience in our lives through our interactions, the beauty of our world and the joy given and received through daily acts of kindness, generosity of spirit and of prayer.

Year 11 – Responsibility – recognising that each of us has a God-given purpose in life, everyone has a voice, a role and human dignity which we are all responsible for respecting and protecting: the responsibility given to us by God for our world and environment, including Pope Francis’ work through Laudate Si on caring for our common home.

Each week there is a voluntary Mass or Eucharistic Service, Rosary and Tutor Group Liturgies in the chapel. In addition, a monthly Prayer Station is created in the Chapel by the Catholic Life Team which follows the Church year and responds to current events both global and local.

Our Chaplaincy is fully involved in the planning and coordination of weekly assemblies across the school.

During Lent and Advent staff and pupils work together to lead the parish in liturgies in one of our local parish churches.

Daily Worship - During form time, we pray together daily using a variety of prayers, linked to the seasons and celebrations of the Liturgical Year.

Tutor Prayer Slides

Collective Worship - Each form works together to create a weekly act of collective worship which is delivered to the other year groups by the students.

Collective Worship this week

Faith In Action Award – In school we have a number of students from Year 7, 8 and 9 who are working towards the bronze Faith in Action Award.

The CYMFed Faith in Action Award rewards young people's active service in helping to build the Kingdom of God on Earth. Many young people are doing so much to follow Jesus' example in serving others in their schools and parishes. The Faith in Action Award encourages young people to take that service into their wider community and accept greater responsibility for their faith in action.

Our students are currently working within our school community, our local community and parishes. They have created a programme of projects to encompass this. This ranges from supporting local food banks through the Rainbow Centre and regular visits to a local care home to befriend residents to organising donations to support vulnerable families and even sorting out and redistributing lost property. Several of our students also serve their parish through ministries such as reading, altar serving and with hospitality in the parish rooms.

Catholic Life Team – In school we have a number of students from all years who are actively involved in creating prayer stations, reflective and worshipful spaces and promoting the Catholic Life of the school through their example.

Charitable Works - The school Chaplaincy and the Catholic Life Team undertake works of charity throughout the year, supporting local and international charities. Through these events we live out our faith and put our motto into action; Love and Serve through Christ. In love of Christ and neighbour.

Catholic Social Teaching - Based on the life and works of Jesus Christ

Opportunities to experience Retreats are offered to every Year Group.

Year 7 celebrate together on day retreat ending with their Welcome Mass, celebrated by Canon Gubbins, to which parents are invited. Year 8 are offered a residential Retreat at Savio House in Cheshire. Years 9 and 10 are invited to join the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes and Flame Youth Congress. Year 11 take part in an afternoon of reflection as they begin their final year in school.

Whole school Mission Week is set to become an annual event at the end of the academic year, enabling all pupils to reflect on their faith journey and future.

The St Cuthbert's Trust Chaplaincy team is led by Mrs N Coyle and supported at St Augustine's by our Chaplaincy Coordinator, Juliet Kaye.

Her background is in primary education within a number of coastal Catholic schools. In her Whitby parish, Juliet has been involved in teaching, preparing children and young people for different sacraments and being part of their spiritual journey. She is always looking for opportunities to encourage and engage others to love and serve their community in school, parish and beyond; really putting their faith into action, loving and serving through Christ.

The Chaplaincy Team fills a pivotal role in the life of our school by ensuring that Christ’s teaching is at the heart of everything we do.

Students are encouraged to explore their faith by leading liturgies and engaging in other spiritual opportunities. These include lunch time activities such as prayer time, Catholic Life Team planning and preparation meetings and Faith in Action Team meetings, where students are encouraged to engage with the local community, school and parish, literally putting their faith into action. The Chaplaincy Team also supports the pastoral care of our students and liaises with our family of local Catholic schools and parishes.

The Catholic Life Team are proactive in creating monthly prayer stations in our Chapel and around school.

Prayer Stations for this Month