Prayer and Liturgy

Just as Jesus is at the heart of all our prayer and liturgy, so too he is at the centre of every Catholic school. His Gospel is the reference point for its ethos and values. Joining Jesus in praise of the Eternal Father, and united by the Holy Spirit in making intercession for the world through prayer and liturgy, lies at the heart of the daily life of the school. The quality of the prayer and liturgy in school not only gives honour to God but forms the spiritual and ethical life of pupils and staff alike.

In any school there will be a range of prayer and liturgy: classroom prayer, meditation, assemblies, devotions, special services for times in the school year, and celebrations of Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Each form of prayer and liturgy will have its own character, dependent on the circumstances, size and age of the group, the place of celebration, and its content.

There is an essential link between a Catholic school’s celebration of prayer and liturgy and the living out of its mission and ethos.

In 2023, the Bishops’ Conference for England and Wales published The Prayer and Liturgy Directory: To love you more dearly, to help schools provide a rich experience of prayer and liturgy based on the rich traditions of the Church.

The Directory is intended in the first place for all staff who are directly responsible for facilitating prayer and liturgy in their schools. Secondly, it is an essential resource for colleagues who support those facilitating prayer and liturgy in schools.

The Directory will be used to steer our schools towards the provision of a rich and rewarding prayer life for all those within its walls.