Catholic Identity

Creator God, we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, as we walk together on your path of love, hope and faith.

Thank you for the gifts of our school, 

our environment, our families and friends.

May our school be a place of learning, care, welcome and celebration.

Mary our Mother, pray for us.

St Mary of the Cross, pray for us. 

Amen

This year’s theme for C.E.Sandhurst schools is

“Let the words you speak always be full of grace.”

As we continue to spread the Good News, we are called to be people of dialogue, 

using our words as instruments of love.

We will encourage those in our care to speak kindly to one another in the classroom, the playground, on the bus, in the car and at home.

We reflect on the journey we have embarked upon over the past months through the season of Lent, a time for reflection, repentance and renewal. We have walked a path of Christ's suffering, allowing us to be transformed by his love and grace.

On Sunday, 28 May this year, we celebrated Pentecost in the church, a reminder of the powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the early disciples. It is a day of great joy and significance in a catholic tradition, marking the birth of the church, us, and the beginning of our mission to spread the good news to all corners of the World.

The church's liturgical calendar has Pentecost, fifty days after the seasons of Lent and Easter. These experiences have allowed us to experience a deep connection between these special and grace-filled seasons. It serves as a reminder that the journey of Lent, with its fasting, prayer, and self-reflection, ultimately leads us to the transformative power of Easter and the reception of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

By bringing these seasons together, we are invited to recognise the unity and continuity of God's saving plan for us. The period of preparation and self-examination during Lent now flows seamlessly into the joy and celebration of Easter, accumulating in the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. He reminds us that our journey in faith is not a series of disconnected events but rather a unified narrative of gods, love, and grace at work in our lives now.

As a community, let us embrace harmony and reconciliation to inspire and guide us in our mission as disciples of Christ. Let us be open to the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, seeking the guidance it gives to strengthen us so we go forth to share the love of God with others. May this closeness of Lent, Easter, and Pentecost be a constant reminder of the continuous outpouring of God's grace and the calling to live out our Catholic identity in the World - especially our everyday lives.

From the feast of Pentecost, may our hearts be filled with joy, our spirits be renewed, and our community be strengthened. Let us remain faithful to the teachings of our church, living as witnesses of Christ's love and proclaiming the gospel with courage and conviction.          Amen