The Liturgical Year
As an integral part of our Catholic ethos, all pupils at St Agnes’ are made aware, throughout the school year, of the changes and celebrations relating to the Church’s Liturgical Year.
Class and communal prayer spaces and displays reflect the Liturgical colour of the season. We spend time in our Religious Education lessons looking at the events in the churches calendar and we celebrate many of them together through prayer and liturgy.
How we celebrate the Liturgical Year:
Autumn
- We start the new school year with the celebration of Mass at St Agnes Church, praying for the whole school community and the year ahead.
- Month of the Rosary: October is the month of the Rosary. Classes are encouraged to pray at least a decade of the Rosary each day. Rosary Bags are sent home for children to pray at home. Pop-up Rosary prayer stations are available for children to pray with Mary at break time.
- Remembrance: We have a book of remembrance for the Holy Souls in the main reception area for parents, staff and children to write the names of loved ones that have died that they would like to be remembered.
- Sunday Family Mass is celebrated at the Church.
- Advent:Â The prayer areas are changed to purple. We light the candles on our Advent Wreath to remind us that we are coming out of the darkness into the light.
- We begin Advent with a reconciliation service to prepare our hearts and minds for the journey for Christ’s coming.
- Christmas: Celebration of the Nativity through drama in Reception and KS1. The children in years 5 and 6 hold a Carol concert in Saint Agnes’ Church with a dramatisation of the nativity story.
Spring
- Epiphany (if in term time) – The children attend and lead Mass at St Agnes Church.
- Saint Agnes Feast Day 21st January, we have a Mass to celebrate the feast of our Patron Saint, Saint Agnes.
- Ash Wednesday: To mark the beginning of Lent children in Reception and KS1 attend our Ash Wednesday Service in school, led by Fr. Chinedu. Children in KS2 attend Mass at the Church with the parish.
- During the season of Lent, all KS2 children and staff have the opportunity for Reconciliation with our Parish Priest in school.
- The children take part in a Lenten retreat to mark the start of this important season and to help develop their prayer life.
- Stations of the Cross: The children gather in the hall to take part in the Stations of the Cross. Throughout Lent, the classes are encouraged to visit the stations at St Agnes Church.
- The children in Years 3 and 4 tell the story of aspects of Holy Week through song, drama, and narration.
 Easter – The Resurrection of our Lord is celebrated during the school holidays, however is covered through our Religious Education unit of work. Gospel assemblies and displays highlight the importance of this feast. Â
Summer
- First Holy Communions: The children in Year 3 make their First Holy Communion which members of staff attend. In school we mark this significant sacrament celebrating the feast of Corpus Christi led by our Year 3 children with their parents.
- May, the month of Mary: – In Honour of Our Lady all the children participate in the Crowning of Mary at our grotto. Every family across the school has the opportunity to take home a Rosary Bag to pray the Rosary as a family.
- Ascension-Religious Education units of work and class prayer and liturgy.
- Pentecost – Religious Education units of work and class prayer and liturgy.
- Feast of St. Peter and Paul: is celebrated with a whole school Mass at St Agnes Church, which is led by the children.
- Leavers Mass: Year 6 and staff leaving the school celebrate their time at St Agnes’ at Mass held at St Agnes Church. This is an opportunity for them to give thanks for the many blessings they have received, friendships made and to pray for their futures.
