This week in our school community: 27 March 2026

Chaplaincy Thoughts… 

 

 

Catholic Young Writer Competition

Students in Years 8 – 11 are invited to submit an essay of up to 1,200 words, on the topic: The Church’s Sacrament of Forgiveness: Why We Go to Confession.  The Judge will be Joanna Bogle of the Catholic Writers Guild of England and Wales.  Deadline is the Tuesday 30 June.

Reconciliation Services 

Over the past two weeks all classes have been to our school Chapel to participate in a reconciliation service led by myself.  Our younger years looked at the history of God’s unconditional love throughout history as a prefix to how each of us can embrace the knowledge that God loves each one of us for who we are. Our older students explored the bigger picture of international relations, but using the painful story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her family to explore the value of human spirit, mercy and sanctity of human life.  Students were able to interact with a variety of prayer stations themed around Glowing Saints, designed to immerse them into the theme of mercy, forgiveness and moving forward in their own lives without holding on to burdens.  They have all shown so much maturity and willingness to embrace such a deep and poignant element of the season of Lent. 

Year 10 group lead refugee ‘welcome and love’ workshop to primary students

Earlier this week our Young Volunteer Group began their tour of local partner primary schools to share a workshop they’ve devised on the theme of welcoming and loving the stranger.  After our second training day of the Young Volunteer Programme, which was led by the Columban Missionaries, students were set the challenge of spreading the message about how we can make refugees feel more welcome after traumatic ordeals.  Part of this was sharing a new hymn written by James Trewby of the Columban Missionaries, titled Welcome and Love.  Our students put together the content of the workshop linking current affairs, Jesus’s experience as a refugee fleeing into Egypt after birth and our response as Christian’s today.  Our first school was St Benedict’s, Midsomer Norton, who responded wonderfully and were very receptive to the endeavours of our young volunteers.  They look forward to going to more primary schools in future weeks and sharing the Gospel message.  Below is the chorus from the hymn they are teaching children in the primary schools. 

Our teacher and Lord, a refugee

From Herod's persecution you were forced to flee,

May we turn welcome and love

Putting faith into action for everyone.

Mr Robinson

Lay Chaplain