Our schools re-open this coming week and a whole round of learning and opportunities begin again for our children. For some little ones, it is their first full day at school; for others it means a fresh start and the anxiety of beginning somewhere new. For teachers and staff, the new year marks the return to the vital and onerous responsibility of forming impressionable minds in the ways of Faith and right judgement.
Schools have changed beyond the imaginations of those of us who grew up in the 2nd half of the 20th century. Some of these changes have been for the better, others clearly not so. One thing that hasn’t changed though is the Lord’s call to all of us to “go and teach all nations”. Our Catholic schools are one of the ways in which we fulfil His command and for this reason they deserve our support, morally and spiritually. I believe passionately in Catholic education and will be doing all I can to support all God’s children (young and old) in their personal journey of Faith, be they in one of our schools or not. You can do your bit too by supporting the staff with your prayers. It’s no use chunttering about the state of schools if you haven’t brought them, their difficulties and their needs before the feet of Our Lord.
The new Chaplaincy Coordinator at St John Fisher’s, Mrs E Fiddler, will be working with staff and students and hopes to be able to share her work through the SJF Chaplaincy X page (formerly known as Twitter). Search for @SJFChaplaincy on X/Twitter and give them a ‘like’ and a follow. You are also invited to send prayer requests that will be used in form time with the students. Fr Simon
LAST LAUGH: I always take my wife morning tea in my pyjamas, but is she grateful? No! She says she’d rather have it in a cup! Morecombe & Wise