Prayer and Liturgy
Prayer and Liturgy Leader: Mrs Hatton
Supported by: Miss James
An essential part of the Catholic ethos of our school is the prayer life. Staff meetings and Governors meetings begin with a prayer.
The most important aspect of prayer for children is that they realise it is their way of communicating with God and is first and foremost a personal occasion.
Children are encouraged to pray in different ways according to their age and personal development.
Children are introduced to a variety of different ways of praying:
- quiet reflection / meditation;
- praying together;
- writing own prayers;
- prayers through music;
- learning traditional Christian / Catholic prayers;
- Staff are encouraged to pray with children, and to be an example for them.
Every day, our children are taught to open their hearts and talk to God. Every class partakes in daily prayers which are said at different stages in the day.
| 5–7 (KS1) | 7–9 (Lower KS2) | 9–11 (Upper KS2) |
| • The Sign of the Cross • The Lord’s Prayer • Hail Mary • Glory be • Grace before meals • Grace after meals |
• The Apostles’ Creed • An Act of Contrition • Angel of God • Come, Holy Spirit • The Prayer of St Richard of Chichester |
• Morning Offering • The Rosary • The Magnificat • Act of Faith • Act of Hope • Act of Love |
Collective Worship
Collective worship in our school community provides opportunities to:
- Deepen our relationship with God
- Grow in spiritual, moral and liturgical understanding; grow in understanding of our living faith tradition
- Develop a sense of wonder and inspiration in the person of Christ
- Reflect upon our own individual faith journeys and develop the skills of prayer. Collective worship is celebrated in a variety of ways including:
- Whole school worship
- Class worship
- Worship through hymns
- Class mass or liturgy
- Whole school masses during the year, including holy days of obligation during term time.
Prayer and Liturgy: Prayer Resources
Follow the links below for resources to support prayer and liturgy at home:
https://cafod.org.uk/pray/prayer-resources
https://cafod.org.uk/education/children-s-liturgy
https://www.catholicicing.com/
https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/family/catholic-kids/
https://www.teachingcatholickids.com/the-stations-of-the-cross-for-families/
https://www.thecatholickid.com/how-to-pray-the-rosary-for-kids/
https://www.teachingcatholickids.com/lectio-divina-for-kids/
https://www.christiethomaswriter.com/kids-ideas-blog/lectio-divina-for-kids/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Cb5LrAlU7_MPTRDMUBcvQ?view_as=subscriber
St Teresa's Week
Our school celebrated the feast of our patron saint, St Teresa, on 1st October. Each morning, children reflected on her life and teachings through prayer, peace, and community-focused activities. On 2nd October, we gathered with Fr Jude for a special Mass at church, honouring both St Therese and the memory of Fr Dominic, our beloved parish priest who passed away two years ago. Led by our spiritual leaders, The Carmelites and The Little Lites, the service featured heartfelt readings and beautiful singing. It was a week of faith, unity, and inspiration, reminding us to live with love and purpose.
Advent Pilgrimage of Hope
Fr Jude celebrated the start of Advent with a special mass. He reminded us that we are waiting in hope for Jesus. The children have been thinking about showing kindness in their daily lives as they wait for the birth of Christ. Fr Jude blessed our Pilgrimage of Hope Candle. The candle is a special sign for our school during the Church’s year of hope so that it may remind us of the light of Christ and the hope he brings to the world. As it moved through the school, we have thought about our hopes—for our local community, for the wider world and for people everywhere.
Y4 also took our Pilgrimage of Hope to Fountain Court Care home. Y4 sang carols with the residents beautifully and spread smiles, hope and joy. They made Christmas Cards for the residents. It was a moving and special experience to be part of. We pray that our candle will continue to inspire us to walk together in faith, hope and love as Jesus calls us to do.
Matylda said: “I really liked the Advent Pilgrimage of Hope candle, in particular the picture. It made me think about working together as a community to achieve our goal.”
Finley said: “The candle helped me to think about my hopes for our future, in our local community but also around the world.”
Festival of Hope
Our pupils were extremely lucky to be invited to the ‘Festival of Hope’ at Westminster Cathedral. They attended a beautiful service led by Cardinal Vincent Nichols. The children were able to take part in activities around the Cathedral guiding them to become ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ for our community. We look forward to continuing our Pilgrimage of Hope this year.
Remembrance Day Liturgy
On November 11th, our school community came together for a moving Remembrance Day Liturgy, led by the Pupil Parliament.
The Liturgy was a time to reflect on the courage and sacrifice of those who gave their lives for peace and freedom, and to think about how we can be peacemakers in our own lives.
The Liturgy began with a heartfelt welcome and prayer, reminding us of the importance of remembering those who fought in wars past and present. Pupils shared thoughtful readings about the significance of Remembrance Day, explaining why we wear poppies and the history behind this powerful symbol of hope.
At 11 o’clock, the hall fell silent for two minutes as we honoured the fallen. The haunting notes of The Last Post played, while children waved their poppies in tribute. Later, pupils explained the origins of the poppy in Flanders Fields and how it became a symbol of resilience and remembrance.
Bible readings from John 15:13 and Matthew 5:9 encouraged us to think about love, sacrifice, and peace in our own lives.
The Liturgy ended with a prayer for peace and a pledge to remember:
“At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.”
The Pupil Parliament led the ceremony beautifully, laying candles and wreaths, and guiding us through moments of reflection and celebration. Their leadership helped make this a truly meaningful occasion for our school community.
Father Dominic’s Memorial Mass with Bishop Paul
On Thursday, 11th January 2024, Bishop Paul McAleenan, led our memorial Mass for Fr Dominic. The Mass was beautiful: the children read beautifully and the church was filled with the children’s wonderful singing. The children chose to sing two of Fr Dominic’s favourite hymns: Shine, Jesus Shine, and Eagles Wings. Bishop Paul enjoyed experiencing some of St Teresa’s unique traditions during Mass, for example, how we offer peace with one another– a tradition that will forever be linked to Fr Dominic’s legacy! We were honoured to be joined by Fr Dominic’s sister and niece, who travelled from London to celebrate Mass with us. After Mass, Bishop Paul was joined by our school Chaplaincy team as he blessed our prayer garden which has been dedicated as Fr Dominic’s Prayer Garden.
St Teresa's Parish Centenary Mass
A hundred years of our Parish
Founded on Trinity Sunday in 1925 by Cardinal Bourne, just weeks after St Therese of Lisieux’s canonisation, the parish began in a small chapel that held only fifty worshippers. In his message for the occasion, Cardinal Vincent Nichols noted how ‘from humble beginnings [St Teresa’s] has become a spiritual home to so many over these past hundred years.’
This milestone was a celebration of the diverse community which has grown in our Parish. On this occasion, the Church was visible in the faces, voices and lives of those gathered in Borehamwood.
During the Centenary Mass, music and prayers from Filipino, Igbo, Polish, Portuguese and other traditions highlighted the parish’s diversity. Our pupils from St Teresa's sang Ave Maria beautifully. Cardinal Nichols observed that such variety ‘comes as a gift of Christ’ and is held together by the unity he provides.
Cardinal Nichols closed his homily by quoting Jesus: ‘Come to me,’ and thanked the parishioners, Fr Dominic, and now Fr Jude, for putting those words into action. As one of the first parishes to be dedicated to St Therese of Lisieux, the Cardinal encouraged those present to follow her example: ‘to do the small things well, to be missionaries here’.
Celebrating pentacost
KS2 Carol concert
What a truly uplifting evening we shared at our KS2 Carol Concert in St Teresa’s Church this week. The children filled the sacred space with music, joy, and reverence, reminding us all of the beauty of Christmas and the gift of Christ’s birth. From the opening hymn to the final blessing, our pupils sang with confidence. Their voices rose together in harmony, creating a prayerful atmosphere that touched everyone present. The prayers and readings were delivered with clarity and meaning, guiding us through the story of the Nativity and helping us reflect on the hope and peace that Jesus brings.
We are immensely proud of each and every child who took part. Their hard work in rehearsals, their courage in standing before a congregation, and their joy in sharing the Good News of Christmas were inspiring. A special thank you goes to our staff for preparing the children so carefully, and to our families for supporting them. Thank you to Fr Jude for blessing us all at the concert and hosting us in church.
KS1 Nativity
Our Key Stage 1 children brought the story of the very first Christmas to life in their wonderful Nativity performance. It was a truly joyful occasion, filled with music, laughter, and reverence, reminding us all of the simple yet profound message of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem.
The children’s enthusiasm and dedication shone through every moment. Their faces were alive with joy – they clearly loved performing their nativity. The singing was beautiful, and narrators so confident. The Nativity had an element of comedy which the children delivered perfectly – they had us all smiling and laughing. Each child played their part beautifully and we are so proud of the way our pupils embraced this special tradition.
A heartfelt thank you goes to our staff, who worked tirelessly to prepare the children, and to you, our families, for supporting them with costumes, practice, and encouragement. Together, we created a special celebration
Reception Class Nativity
Advent Purple Day
To mark the beginning of Advent, the children and staff wore an item of purple. This is joyful time when we prepare and wait in hope to welcome our Saviour into our lives and hearts.
The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.
The Annunciation: Luke 1.26-38
Dear Jesus,
You came to bring us light.
You Came to bring us peace.
You came to bring us hope.
Blessing our Prayer Garden
The grass withers and the flowers fall,but the word of our God endures forever. Isaiah 40:8
Fr Dominic blessed our new prayer garden. Prayers and scripture were led by our Apostles of Mercy, who then laid prayer stones that they had made in class.
Prayer stones
To celebrate our collective worship and the opening of our St Teresa prayer garden, all pupils were invited to make a prayer stone or prayer heart to use in worship. The stone / heart that they made can be used by anyone in school so the children had to think about the message their stone / heart would convey and what it would mean to the person holding it during reflection.
The prayer stones and hearts are beautiful, they can been seen all over our school, on our classroom prayer tables, RE displays, communal prayer tables and in our prayer garden.
St Blaise - Blessing of the throats
Spirituality Week
We celebrated Fr Dominic's 25 years
Ordination Anniversary at Mass 11th Nov 19
Advent Liturgies
Over the last week, our classes have led us beautifully through their Advent Liturgies, helping us to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ at Christmas. Each liturgy was a moment of reflection, prayer, and joy, reminding us of the true meaning of this season of waiting and hope. We are so proud of our children, who planned, prepared and led with such care and reverence. Their readings, prayers, and singing were offered with faith, and it was inspiring to see them take ownership of sharing the Good News.
We also want to extend our thanks to you, our parents and carers, for attending and supporting these liturgies. Your presence not only encouraged the children but also strengthened our sense of community as a Catholic school family. These liturgies are a special moment together to remind us that Advent is not just about preparing for Christmas Day but about preparing our hearts to welcome Christ into our lives each and every day.
Apostles of Mercy Advent Lunchtime Liturgy
Celebrating families home learning
In Year 3, we have been learning about 'The Annunciation' and how Mary received the news that she was going to be the Mother of God. The children created artwork to show what they understood about 'The Annunciation' and they enjoyed sharing their learning with their classmates.
This term Year 1 and their families worked together to create a piece of art work that represented God’s Great Plan, Adam and Eve or Noah’s Ark. They brought in this wonderful art work for display.
As we were looking at Mary Our Mother, the children brought in a picture of themselves with their mum’s and displayed it on our RE table.
Reception class - Rejoice with Fr Dominic
Our Pupil Parliament led the school in a wonderful Remembrance Reflection last week. They helped us to pray for all those who have lost their lives in conflict, to hope that we learn from the mistakes of conflict and for the world to become a place of peace. The pupil parliament team led this reflection with a great deal of respect, we are really proud of them.
Celebrating the Year of St Joseph
