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Chaplaincy at St Mary's
All children at St Mary's are invited to participate in the Catholic life of the school in many different ways. As a school, we see 'chaplaincy' as an aspect of our provision that every member of the community can contribute to and receive from regardless of faith or background - everyone is welcome at St Mary's. From their first days at the school, our pupils benefit from this and it is an important part of the character and culture (ethos) that makes us a very special and unique community.
Our Chaplaincy Team
Every year, we invite pupils in our Key Stage Two classes to join our school's 'Chaplaincy Team'. Anyone can join this group, and the children work with Mrs Pecchia (Co-Deputy Head and RE Lead) and Fr Jeremy.
Bishop Declan guides all of our diocesan school chaplaincy teams and he commissions all new chaplaincy team members each year at Ss Peter and Paul Cathedral in Clifton, Bristol. Bishop Declan is very supportive of chaplaincy and he has asked all of his school chaplaincy teams to focus on the following three areas:
- Strengthen Mission - How can we bring hope to others?
- Deepen Prayer - How can we lead/develop prayer for our community?
- Enable Communion - How can we encourage people to work together?
Each year, Bishop Declan selects one charity that he would like his teams to raise funds for alongside each school's own selected charities and projects. In 2018, Bishop Declan visited St Mary's and thanked the children at the school for all of their hard work as well as taking the time to visit each of the classes, and he stayed for a school meal too!
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Some of our chaplains holding their prayer pebbles that are available for the whole community outside and inside of the building.
What is our Chaplaincy Team up to?
Team members meet weekly (sometimes they decide to meet daily!) with Mrs Pecchia and work on the three aspects that Bishop Declan asks them to focus on. Here are a few examples of current, past and future projects:
Strengthen Mission
Every year, our chaplaincy team coordinates our autumn harvest celebrations. They invite the community to make donations for local foodbanks and lead the community in a special service.
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Deepening Prayer
All pupils at St Mary's are invited to lead and benefit from a range of prayer and reflective opportunities. Our Chaplaincy Team work together to develop and prepare collective worship sessions for classes and the school. They focus on the Liturgical Calendar (see diagram below) and
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In November, the chaplaincy team planned and led a special remembrance service for the school community. This special service included a time of reflection and prayer for those who have lost their lives. Every child and staff member contributed to the service by helping to create a wreath
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Enabling Communion
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"At St Mary's, we all fit together in one loving community"
The Chaplaincy Team work alongside other teams in the Camino Partnership and Diocese on joint projects aimed at bringing people together. This year, they are excited about the work that they will able to do with the chaplaincy team at St Benedict's in Midsomer Norton.