The Annual Schools Mass was held on Wednesday 17 June at St John’s Cathedral in Portsmouth.
It provided an opportunity for the Diocesan community of schools from all corners of the Diocese – and also, through live streaming, our schools in the Channel Islands – to gather with Bishop Philip in a packed cathedral to give thanks for God’s grace on our schools and ask His blessing on those in need.
As we are celebrating a Holy Year, a focus during this year’s Mass was ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, which St John’s Cathedral Primary School reflected on during a dance to introduce the Mass. As St Mary’s School, Ascot, led the congregation in singing the opening hymn, schools processed forward with their pledges to ensure a lasting legacy of the Holy Year.
Following the uplifting Mass, the celebrations continued across the road in Victoria Park with picnics and, in the heat of a very hot day, a very welcome ice lolly from Bishop Philip.
Recent Posts
The Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth is delighted to announce its annual pilgrimage to Lourdes, taking place from Monday 6th July to Friday 10th July, departing from London Heathrow Airport. Bishop [...]
The Portsmouth Bamenda Committee supports the link between Portsmouth Diocese and the Archdiocese of Bamenda which was established over 50 years ago. Members of the committee work with counterparts in [...]
Angela Camilleri was until recently a parishioner at Christ the King Reading for over forty years. She has recently relocated from Reading to the Mediterranean island of Malta and shares [...]
Bishop Philip writes about his visit to The Marist, Ascot Last Thursday, I made a visitation of the Marist school in Ascot, an independent Catholic girls’ school that offers education [...]






