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PREPARING FOR LENT 2023

Apologies - it has been some time since I have used the 'Blogger' facility to communicate but I am keen to re-open this channel of communication.

I hope that everyone has experienced a refreshing half term break ... or maybe even a busy one if that is what you prefer. On a personal level,
I have been to visit my eldest son at Manchester and have enjoyed some catch up TV and some audio books whilst also spending some time in the garden, sorting out the greenhouse and pond ready for the season ahead. It has been good to spend time with family, even if we are in the middle of the tensions of GCSE revision for my middle son! Life is so busy for all of us.


And as we return, we will soon enter the liturgical season of Lent. The school has 'gone purple' in preparation! Ash Wednesday (22nd Feb) marks the start of Lent. Fr Nigel has kindly agreed to put on an extra Mass so that pupils in KS2 can attend and receive their ashes (parents are all welcome at 11 am) and pupils in EYFS and KS1 will join together in a school based liturgy to receive their ashes. Ash Wednesday is a time for us all to stop in the middle of our busy schedules and take stock of where we are and what we are aiming for in life; a time to reset; to readjust; to realign. Lent can be a time of reset ... reset of heart and reset of action. 

This weekend's message from Cardinal Vincent really resonated with me. Our actions ... faith in action ... are just so important. You can read Cardinal Vincent's pastoral message here:

 
So how do we live this out in school?

Well ... our whole RE curriculum is based upon making links between scripture, Church teaching, worship and life. Whatever our children learn has to have an impact on their daily life AND IT DOES SO BEAUTIFULLY! 

LENT is rooted in actions of prayer, fasting and almsgiving

During this Lent your children will: 

  •  Engage with  Food Bank Friday, leaving items in the trolley outside St Joseph’s workshop that we can share with the St Vincent de Paul Society to support local families. You can find out more about he Society of St Vincent de Paul here: https://www.svp.org.uk/ LOCAL ACTION. 

  • Be sent home with a CAFOD penny box. Maybe they could complete jobs at home for a small fee to support overseas sustainable aid projects. You can find out more about CAFOD projects thaw we are supporting here: https://cafod.org.uk INTERNATIONAL ACTION. 

  • Buy Easter raffle tickets which will be on sale during the last few weeks of term. Pupils can buy tickets that might earn them an Easter treat donated by the staff team. Funds raised will support Father Kakuba’s Kanyike Project in Uganda. You can find out more about the Kanyikee project here: https://www.kanyikeproject.org.uk/ INTERNATIONAL ACTION.

Each day during Lent, the School Parliament  team will be selecting an image to display on the ‘lenten lines’ in our purple shed at the main entrance to the school. You may want to stop at this point with your child, look at the new image and say a prayer together each day. 



Watch this space!

During Lent there will be many opportunities for your children to experience a response to scripture through their ACTIONS. 

Lent 2023 brings with it a great opportunity for lasting change and action focused on the Common Good. As a Catholic school, rooted in these principles, we are ideally placed to promote these principles which can only serve to make our community the very best place that it can possibly be, outward looking and supportive to all. Please join us in prayer for the fruit of our mission this Lent.


The following link to our school website may support you 
in preparing your children during this very special season:

Support for families

Thank you for all that you do to support us in the formation of your children. 
It is such a special opportunity and we take it very seriously, 






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