Prayer and Liturgy
At St Augustine's we always strive to provide quality experiences of prayer and liturgy that support pupils’ spiritual development. These communal acts of prayer and the liturgical celebrations of the Church form part of everyday life in our school.
Every child is given the opportunity to pray by giving praise and thanks to God using traditional prayers of the Catholic Church and many other sources of prayer that enable this to take place.
We encourage the children to nurture a relationship with God through words, symbols, song, gestures and silence. Prayer is such an integral part of school life that it can never be confined to ‘timetabled’ slots but may take place in a variety of contexts other than those specifically structured.
Central to our prayer life in St Augustine’s is the weekly Prayer and Liturgy which follows the weekly Gospel. Children may participate in a variety of ways: praying, reading, or singing.
Other opportunities for prayer take place within the classroom at the start of each day, before lunch and again at the end of each day. Prayer in the classrooms and in assemblies always includes use of symbols and a focal point for prayer which is appropriate to the liturgical season, for example, Lent, Advent or Easter. During all these times of prayer, both staff and pupils are involved in leading and participating.
We use The Prayer and Liturgy Directory for Catholic Schools, academies and colleges in England and Wales, known as, 'To love you more dearly' https://www.catholiceducation.org.uk/resources/the-prayer-liturgy-director
Celebrating Liturgy Together
Liturgy is our shared act of worship. It is how we celebrate the presence of Christ within our school community.
We gather regularly for: Whole school liturgies and Masses, celebrating the seasons of the Church year and important feast days.
Children are encouraged to take an active role in planning and leading these celebrations — writing prayers, reading Scripture, and preparing the sacred space. In this way, they grow in confidence and understanding of the richness of our Catholic tradition.
The Liturgical Year
Our prayer and worship follow the Liturgical Year, marking special times such as Advent, Christmas, Lent, Holy Week, and Easter, as well as the feasts of Our Lady and the Saints. These celebrations help our pupils to experience the rhythm of the Church’s life and to reflect on how the mysteries of faith are lived out each day.
We gather daily to pray: be it in our classrooms, or together as a key stage or whole school, for Celebration of the Word. Mass is celebrated by our parish priest Fr.Chris at least once each term. We encourage children to actively participate, with opportunities to plan and lead with reverence and confidence. We also join together to celebrate feast days and special events throughout the liturgical year.
Our weekly pattern of prayer includes:
Monday Whole school Celebration of the Word linked to the Sunday Gospel, led by the Headteacher.
Tuesday Key stage Celebration of the Word, led by class teachers, SLT, or pupils on a rota basis.
Wednesday Whole school hymn practice (praise & worship focus).
Thursday Class Celebration of the Word, led by Class teachers or children.
Friday Department Celebration assembly (led by staff, pupils and class teachers)
Praying with Pope Francis 💛
Each month, Pope Francis asks us to pray for something special happening in our world. At our school, we join together to pray for his intention so we can help make the world a better place.
This helps us to think about others, show kindness and care, and remember that we are part of God’s big family. It reminds us to live out our mission, “Unique and United in God’s love. We let our light shine,” by spreading love and doing good things for others.
You can find this month’s prayer here and join in with us: https://www.praywiththepope.net/popes-intentions
Pope’s Intentions – Pray With the Pope
Our Prayers 🙏
The prayers we learn:
🙏 Let’s join together in prayer and let our light shine! ✨
