Our Youth Pages

This section is under construction and will be frequently updated

The Church's Year

 

St Augustine's School

 

 

First Communion Preparation

 

The Stations of the Cross

 

The Mass

 

 

 

Stained glass window in our church

 

The Church’s Year

 

Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.

It's a day of penitence — to clean the soul before Lent — and a day of celebration as the last chance to feast before Lent begins.

Shrove Tuesday is probably the Christian festival that the family enjoys most—after Christmas, of course.

 

But there's more to Shrove Tuesday than pigging out on pancakes or taking part in a public pancake race: the pancakes themselves are part of an ancient custom with deeply religious roots.

Penitence
Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the ritual of "shriving" that Christians used to undergo in the past. In shriving a person confesses their sins and receives absolution for them.

When a person receives absolution for their sins, they are forgiven for them and released from the guilt and pain that they have caused them.

In the Catholic or Orthodox context, the absolution is "pronounced" by a priest.

This tradition is very old. Over 1000 years ago a monk wrote in the Anglo-Saxon Ecclesiastical Institutes:

"In the week immediately before Lent everyone shall go to his confessor and confess his deeds and the confessor shall so shrive him".

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday, in Christian churches, is the first day of the penitential season of Lent. 

On Ash Wednesday Christians have a smudge of ashes placed on their foreheads as a sign of penitence.  In the Roman Catholic Church the ashes are obtained from palm branches that were distributed the previous Palm Sunday, they are burned and blessed before mass on Ash Wednesday.

When the ashes are placed on a forehead the penitent is reminded of our mortality:

"Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return."

Low Sunday

Low Sunday is not so called because it is less important than any other Sunday. Its name in English derives from an ancient custom concerning the newly baptised Christians. Those who were baptised at the Easter Vigil were dressed in white garments, just as a baby is robed in a white shawl or dress today for christening. These white robe, symbols of the new dignity of the Christian, were worn for the whole of Easter week and then taken off on the following Sunday. In Latin this Sunday was known as ‘Dominica in albis deponedis/depositis.’ (Sunday when the white garments are lowered/taken off.) Hence the name Low or Lowering Sunday.

 

Ascension of Our Lord

Ascension Day is when we celebrate Jesus’ return to his Father in Heaven.

 

Pentecost Sunday

The day we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit.

 

Corpus Christi

We give thanks to God for the gift of Jesus in the form of bread and wine.

 

Ss Peter & Paul

St Peter was the first Pope. St Paul wrote extensively about the life of Jesus.

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St Augustine’s School

Holidays 2005/6

Holiday                       Closing Date              Re-opens for Teaching                                       

Summer 2005          Friday 22nd July                Tuesday 6th September

Autumn                   Friday 21st October          Tues 1st November

Christmas               Tuesday 20th Dec             Thur 5th January

Spring                     Friday 17th Feb                Monday 27th February

Easter                    Friday 7th April                 Monday 24th April

May Day                 Friday 28th April               Tuesday 2nd May

Summer                  Friday 26th May                Monday 5th June

Summer 2006       Thursday 20th July                                

 

 

 

Country dancing every Thursday

Spanish Club every Monday

 

Yr 6 SATS week  Monday 9thMay

 

 

 

 

 

Religious Education

As we return to school after Easter the Church is still celebrating this great event.  This term we will also celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

 

The focus of our term’s work in Religious Education is the role the Holy Spirit plays in our lives.  We will be exploring the topics Good News, Choices, another world faith and Neighbours.

 

GOOD NEWS – until 6th May

In the first topic the childen will investigate and celebrate the Good News they give and receive.  They will explore Pentecost, the celbration of the gift of the Holy Spirit and how Christians can spread the Good News of Jesus.

 

 

CHOICES – 9th May – 10th June

The second topic for the term is Choices.  The children will be looking at choices they have to make, making right or wrong choices and recognizing the consequences of their actions.  They will study the Sacrament of Reconciliation and learn about the importance of forgiveness.

 

OTHER FAITHS 13-17th June

In Religious Education lessons, beginning in Year One, the children will spend this week exploring another world faith.

 

NEIGHBOURS 20th June – end of term

The final topic in the summer terms looks at Neighbours.  The children will explore their ideas about neighbours, who they are, how we relate to one another and what Jesus said about loving one another.  They will also look at how the Church Loves its Neighbours.

 

 

The Month of May is dedicated to Our Lady.

 

Ascension Day – 5th May

 

Pentecost Day – 15th May

 

Corpus Christ – 26th May

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOLY WEEK

 

           

Palm Sunday

The day we

Commemorate Jesus’ triumphant

entrance into Jerusalem.

 

 

           

Holy Thursday

We remember the last meal

Jesus shared with his friends.

 

 

Good Friday

The day on which

Jesus was

crucified and died.

 

Easter Sunday

The day the tomb was

found empty and Jesus

had risen from the dead.

 

 

 

 

 

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The Stations of the Cross

(through the images and readings of the children of the school)

 

On Maundy Thursday the children led the parish Stations of the Cross in church. Each class contributed two marvellous images. The children of Year 6 wrote and read their own commentaries on the Stations.

 

Click on a thumbnail to see our images of the Stations and to read the children’s commentaries.

 

The

First Station

The

Second Station

The

Third Station

The

Fourth Station

The

Fifth Station

The

Sixth Station

The Seventh Station

The

Eighth Station

The

Ninth Station

The

Tenth Station

The Eleventh Station

The

Twelfth Station

The Thirteenth Station

The Fourteenth Station

 

 

And for Easter Day – our Fifteenth Station and the concluding prayer

 

 

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The Mass

Our guide to things used during mass and things you may see in church.

 

Click on a letter to read our guide

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(adapted from ‘St Stephen’s Handbook for Altar Servers’ by Edward Matthews)

 

A

Alb – A white, full length gown with sleeves and sometimes a hood. It is always worn by a priest at Mass, and by servers in some churches.

Altar – The stone or wooden table where the most important part of the Mass, the Eucharistic Prayer, takes place.

 

B

Boat – Container for incense.

 

C

Chair – The priest has a special chair to signify that he is the leader of the congregation. It should be placed behind, or to one side of the altar.

Chalice –The cup which contains the Precious Blood. Most chalices are made of precious metal.

Ciborium – The container for the bread, before or after its consecration. It looks like a chalice but has a lid.

Crucifix – A cross with the figure of Jesus on it. There is always one on or near the altar.

 

D

 

E

Extinguisher – A small cone (usually of brass) fixed to the end of a pole and used for putting out (extinguishing) candles.

 

F

Font – A water container, usually decorated, sometimes made of stone, where people are baptised.

 

G

Gospel Book – A large decorated book containing only the Gospel readings for the Mass. It is usually carried by the deacon.

 

H

Host – Strictly speaking, the consecrated bread. In practice, the name is often used for the unconsecrated altar bread. The priest’s host is often larger than the others.

                               

I

Incense – A substance, looking like coarse sand, which when sprinkled on burning charcoal, gives off clouds of sweet-smelling smoke. It is contained in a BOAT; so called because of its shape.

 

J

 

K

 

L

Lavabo bowl and towel –Used by the priest when he washes his fingers.

Lectern – The reading desk at which the reader, priest and deacon proclaim the readings from the Bible. It is sometimes called an AMBO. A PULPIT may also be used for this purpose.

 

M

Missal – The book from which the prayers of the Mass are read by the priest.

 

N

Nave – The part of the church where the people sit. The passageways are called AISLES.

 

O

 

P

Paschal Candle – A very large, decorated candle, blessed at Easter and often to be seen standing next to the baptism font. It represents the risen Christ, the light of the world.

 

Q

 

R

 

S

Sacristy – The room where priests and servers prepare themselves for the services.

Sanctuary – The area in a church where the altar, lectern and priest’s chair are placed.

Sanctuary lamp – The lamp which is kept burning near the TABERNACLE to show that the Blessed Sacrament is present.The lamp is often in a bracket attached to the wall, or suspended from the ceiling.

Stole – A type of scarf worn by priests and deacons, which is a sign of their ministry.

 

T

Tabernacle – The decorated, secure cupboard, or safe, often made of metal in which is kept the consecrated bread outside of Mass so that it may be available when sick people require Communion, or for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Thurible – The container for the burning charcoal and incense. It is usually suspended at the end of three chains so that it can be swung and also opened easily.

 

U

 

V

Vestments – The special clothes which are worn by priests, deacons and servers during the liturgy. For example, ALB, CHASUBLE, STOLE.

 

W                                                                                             

 

X

 

Y

Year – The Church has its own calendar. The year begins on the first Sunday of Advent (four Sundays before Christmas Day).

  In the season of Advent purple vestments are worn

  In the season of Christmas white vestments are worn. This season usually lasts for about three Sundays.

  Then Ordinary Time begins (this is sometimes called Sundays throughout the Year). Green vestments are worn.

  Lent interrupts Ordinary Time. Purple vestments are worn.

  The season of Easter follows; during this time the vestments are white.

  Pentecost Sunday brings the season of Easter to and end Red vestments are worn.

  After Pentecost, Ordinary Time re-starts, and the green vestments are used again. There are 33 or 34 Sundays in Ordinary Time.

  The last Sunday in Ordinary Time is the celebration of Christ the King: white vestments are worn. This marks the end of the Church’s year.

  Then the season of Advent begins again.

 

Z

 

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