Our Lady and St Joseph 

Month of March dedicated to St Joseph 

Glorious Saint Joseph,

pattern of all who are devoted to toil,

obtain for me the grace to toil in the spirit of penance,

in order thereby to atone for my many sins;

to toil conscientiously,
putting devotion to duty before my own inclinations;

to labour with thankfulness and joy,

deeming it an honour to employ and to develop,

by my labour, the gifts that I have received from Almighty God;
 

to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience,

without ever shrinking from weariness and difficulties;

to work above all with a pure intention

and with detachment from self,
having always before my eyes the hour of death

and the accounting which I must then render of time ill-spent,

of talents unemployed, of good undone,

and of my empty pride in success,

which is so fatal to the work of God.
All for Jesus, all through Mary,

all in imitation of thee, O Patriarch Joseph!

This shall be my motto in life and in death.

Amen.

Special Prayer to St Joseph

Glorious Saint Joseph

pattern of all who are devoted to toil,

obtain for me the grace to toil in the spirit of penance.

In order thereby to atone for my many sins;

to toil conscientiously,

putting devotion to duty before my own inclinations;

to labour with thankfulness and joy,

deeming it an honour to employ and to develop,

by my labour, the gifts that I have received from Almighty God;

to work with order, peace, moderation and patience,

without ever shrinking from weariness and difficulties;

to work above all with a pure intention and 

with detachment from self,

having always before my eyes the hour of death

and the accounting which I must then render of time ill-spent,

of talents unemployed, of good undone,

and of my empty pride in success, 

which is so fatal to the work of God.

All for Jesus, all through Mary,

all in imitation of thee, O Patriarch Joseph!

This shall be my motto in life and in death.

Amen  

Our Blessed Lady

The Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus has a very central and elevated place within Roman Catholic teachings and beliefs. Roman Catholics do not worship Mary, in the way that we worship God, rather they honour her and pray to her to intercede for us (we ask her to pray with us and for us) to her Son Jesus Christ who is one God with the Father and Holy Spirit. Mary is the greatest of all disciples, and the best intercessor (someone who prays for us). Mary is called ‘Mother of God’ because she gave birth to Jesus who is God. When we think of Mary, we think of the way she said “yes” to God even though she was a little scared of what might happen. In this sense, Mary is the ultimate role model for us – someone of great faithfulness who says yes to God. We pray especially to Mary during the months of May and October. Our Lady has many Feast days throughout the year. Our Lady Seat of Wisdom pray for us.

St Joseph

May 1st is the patronal feast of St Joseph the Worker.  In 1870, Pope Pius IX declared Joseph patron of the Universal Church and in 1955 Pope Pius XII, established the Feast of “St. Joseph the Worker”, to be celebrated on 1 May. Not much is known about St Joseph but what we do know and can appreciate is that Joseph readily responded to what God asked of him and that through his love, dedication and hard work he provided a loving family for Mary and Jesus. The Gospels describe Joseph as a “tekton” (τέκτων). Tekton has been traditionally translated into English as “carpenter”. Today we celebrate St Joseph’s status as the “patron of workers.”

When we think of St Joseph we are asked to think about his patience, persistence, courage, and hard work. 

A Prayer for Friends

I give thanks for my friends,
for connection and laughter,
for comfort and strength,
for encouragement and unity,
for forgiveness and grace,
for celebration and joy.
They are so many things to me,
such a rich tapestry of blessings,
woven through my life. Thank you.
Amen

First Holy Communion

Along with the Sacrament of Baptism, First Holy Communion is one of our three sacraments of initiation. It is through these sacraments of initiation that we become full members of the Church. It is during First Holy Communion that we receive the Holy Eucharist for the first time. The Holy Eucharist refers to Christ’s body, blood, soul, and divinity truly present in the consecrated host and wine (now called the Body and Blood of Christ) on the altar. For us as Catholics, there is nothing greater than to receive Jesus, truly present in the Eucharist at Mass.

The preparation of our children for these sacraments is an important time in the life of every school and Parish. It presents a special opportunity for developing their relationship with God, each other and society.

Equally it presents an opportunity for a school and Parish to be a real sign of communion and mission within and beyond its own boundaries.

Faith News

To read the latest news from the Diocese, please visit the Hexham and Newcastle Diocese website by clicking on the image. 

CAFOD

CAFOD are one of the largest aid networks in the world. Because of their global reach and local presence, together they have the potential to reach everyone. Their local experts help some of the most difficult-to-reach people in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Whether it’s a single mother living in a remote area, a teenage boy living in a war zone, or a disabled father and daughter who are discriminated against, they help anyone regardless of faith, gender and ethnicity.

Through a local priest, a midwife or a water engineer – their global reach is present in the lived experience of local communities. These skilled women and men understand what people need because they are part of the communities they work in. Their commitment, passion and knowledge reach people other organisations can’t.

They have the potential to reach so many people because we are a member of a global Church network with a presence in 165 countries. The local Church is trusted even in the most dangerous countries, regions and communities regardless of religion. This means that your support will help those who are truly in need.

As a school we fundraise for CAFOD in a number of ways throughout the year. 

More information about CAFOD can be found by following the link below:

https://cafod.org.uk/

YMT  

The Diocesan Youth Ministry Team (YMT) was set up at the request of Bishop Ambrose Griffiths back in 1995. The main purpose is to communicate the Gospel using various creative means to the young. They gather young people from all over the world to live a community lifestyle for a 10-month volunteer programme, which includes training in various ways of communicating the Gospel.

Within our school we have developed close links with this prophetic organisation working with our children. With the use of drama, mime, music and multimedia they have presented the Gospel in a lively and effective way. In addition to this children have been involved in retreat which supports young people to find their place in “belonging” and “Church”.

For more information on the YMT click on the following link: http://www.ymt.org/