Celebration of the Word
Here at St. Mary’s our faith and God is at the centre of everything we do. Through prayer and liturgy, the spirituality of our community is celebrated. In addition to worshiping God through out actions and through the way we live and treat each other, we worship God through whole school Gospel Celebrations, class and key stage celebrations of the word, hymn singing, school Masses and daily prayers.
We begin every Monday with a whole school Gospel assembly which focuses on the word of the week. This is led by a member of SLT and supported by the chaplaincy team. We gather together to listen to the word of God, respond to the word and receive our mission for the week to further spread the message of God.
Tuesdays we meet together again as a school but this time our Celebration of the Word is led by a specific class. The children along with their teacher will plan and deliver, usually based on a school virtue. It follows a similar format to Mondays Celebration of Gather, Word, Response and Mission.
Wednesdays we gather together in our classes for Wednesday Word.
Thursdays we gather together again as a school for hymn practice. The songs we learn and sing are old and new and are carefully selected by both staff and students. The songs we often share when we go to mass and during special assemblies throughout the year.
Fridays we gather to celebrate all of the fantastic work carried out during the week. Each class receives three certificates; Respectful and Resilient Learner, Reader of the Week and Catholic Life certificate. Parents are invited along each week to celebrate with us and it is always a warming celebration enjoyed be all.
Celebration of the Word
Celebration of the Word; Year 2; Hope – 20.05.25
Today, Year 2 led us in a Celebration of the Word, with the theme hope. They began by discussing what it means to have hope and is hope a good thing? We went on to hear a Gospel reading from John. John speaks about Jesus healing a blind man. This scripture teaches us that we should always believe in God’s way. The healing provides hope that God can change and restore even the most challenging circumstances in life. The scripture emphasizes God’s compassion and care for those who are afflicted, including those with disabilities. We should respect and value all in the name of Jesus The Christ.
Mission – Our mission this week is to have hope for the future, and to act in ways that promote well-being and positive relationships, contributing to a more respectful society.
Gospel Celebration; Eastertide – 19.05.25
Today, Mrs Tuff and some Y1 pupils, led us in the Gospel Celebration where they discussed the word of the week Witness; Witness is the sharing of our faith with others. It is a way of testifying to the truth of Jesus Christ and the Gospel message.
They went on to discuss the theme for today which is Eastertide; The Church celebrates the season of Easter for fifty days, rejoicing in the new life and hope that the risen Jesus brings us.
We heard in the Gospel how Jesus tells his disciples that he will not be with them much longer and he tells them how he’d like them to behave; Jesus told the disciples to love one another, just as he had loved them. Jesus spent time with people, especially those who were sick, lonely, frightened or poor. He listened to them and ate with them. He healed them and he helped them to change their lives for the better.
There was time for reflection on what we heard today and we thought about these two questions… Do you think this message to love other people was just for the disciples? What do you think Jesus wants us to do?
Mission – Today and throughout this week think about and act upon ways you will love one another.
Gospel Celebration; Faith – Year 4 – 06.05.25
Year 4, led us in the Gospel Celebration this week. With the word of the week being; Faith. Having Faith can be hard. It requires us to believe in those things we can’t prove and see. St. Thomas is famous for not believing that Jesus had risen, but this reminds us all that even for Jesus’ disciples, faith wasn’t always easy.
This Sunday’s Gospel places us beside the Sea of Tiberias. The disciples have returned to what they know—fishing—but their nets remain empty. Only at daybreak, when Jesus appears on the shore and tells them to try again, do they find abundance. At his word, they cast the net to the right side of the boat and haul in 153 fish. Then the beloved disciple recognises the moment for what it is: “It is the Lord!” Peter, true to form, dives into the water and rushes to meet him. This Gospel scene captures the rhythm of resurrection life. It’s often in the ordinary, in the weariness of daily life, that Jesus appears again and calls us to trust. Hope rises not from certainty, but from listening to his voice—even when the night has been long and fruitless. Christ is always on the shore, always calling us to begin again, to try again, to trust again.
Mission – Our mission this week is to think of something you need to have faith in this week. Spend some time in prayer to ask God for the faith you need.
Celebration of the Word; Celebrating Easter – 23.04.25
We celebrated in our classes this week, a liturgy written by Mrs Tuff. We gathered to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. We heard in the Gospel reading how Jesus appeared to two of his friends as they were walking (they didn’t know yet that he had risen). The Emmaus story reminds us that the risen Jesus is walking alongside us. We can encounter him through the Bible, the celebration of Mass, the beauty of creation and also through our sisters and brothers throughout the world.
Gospel Celebration; Transfiguration of Jesus – 17.03.25
This week we gathered in our classes for the Celebration of the Word which was linked to the Transfiguration of Jesus. We began by looking at the word of the week which is Fasting. We discussed how fasting is a way of showing self-discipline and of focusing on our relationship with God. We listened to the Gospel where Luke tells us that Jesus took Peter, James, and John up onto a mountain to pray. As these disciples watched in awe, Jesus transfigured (changed appearance). His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. Even more incredible, Jesus was joined by the long-dead Moses and Elijah. From a cloud that enveloped them all, the voice of the Lord affirms that this is His Son and they should listen to Him.
By showing them his inner glory, Jesus encouraged the disciples. Today, when we listen to and follow Jesus, our lives are transformed and we are filled with words of encouragement.
Mission – Our mission this week is to think of something that you can give up to leave more time and space for what’s important.
Celebration of the Word – Year 4; Prayer – 11.03.25
Todays celebration of the Word, was led by Year 4 who were focusing on the word of the week; Prayer. Year 4 invited us all to sit where we wanted as we gathered today because God is with us wherever we are. Before beginning, someone from each year group was invited to bring an item to help set up the prayer focus. Children were asked to answer questions such as why do we pray? and where do we pray?. A short passage was read from the letter of St.Paul to the Thessalonians where we heard about the importance of prayer. In this verse Paul encourages us to give thanks in all circumstances. He adds that it is God’s will to do so. Regardless how difficult our circumstances may be, we can find reasons to thank God. We can be thankful that all things work together for our good if we belong to him.
Mission – Our mission is to take a moment each day to Pray, it can be anywhere.
Gospel Celebration; Temptation – 10.03.25
Today we gathered together for our Gospel Celebration which was led by the chaplaincy team. The word of the week this week is Prayer and they discussed how Prayer is a conversation with God where we can share anything with him, we can pray in many different ways and places and during Lent we can use prayer to help guide us through. We listened to the Gospel which linked to Temptation. We heard how after Jesus’ baptism, he went out into the desert for 40 days and here he was tempted three times by the Tempter but all three times, Jesus resisted. After this, the tempter left. Jesus relied on God’s word to resist temptation. Lent is a time for us to make an extra effort to listen carefully to God’s word, to turn away from things which are wrong for ourselves or others, to grow in love, and to prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection at Easter.
Mission – Our mission this week is to offer a Lenten promise and tie this promise to our school prayer tree.
