Celebration of the Word

'Prayer is the raising of one's heart and mind to God'               

At St Thomas More Catholic Academy and Sixth Form College, prayer and liturgy are at the heart of our school life. Every day, students and staff are invited to encounter Christ through prayer and worship, both in the ordinary rhythm of the day and in the great celebrations of the Church’s year.

We pray with the students:

• Tutor Time: Each morning begins with prayer, including the school prayer of the month and intentions suggested by staff and students.
• The Angelus: At lunchtime we pause to pray the Angelus, uniting our school community in remembering the Incarnation.
• At the end of period 5 we have a final prayer of the day. We end by giving thanks for our day and asking God to bless us as we leave to go home. 
• In RE lessons: Prayer is linked to the lesson theme, liturgical season, or feast of the day.
• Prayer and Liturgy Gatherings: Planned, prepared, and led by students and staff, these liturgies include scripture, hymns, silence, reflection, and intercession.
• Celebration of the Word: Weekly acts of worship that draw on Catholic Social Teaching and the Gospel, rooted in scripture and prayer.
• Mass: Students regularly celebrate Mass at Our Lady of the Angels Church with our parish priest, Fr Jimmy.
• On Holy Days of Obligation: The whole school gathers for Mass to celebrate the great feasts of the Church.
• The Chapel: A sacred space for personal prayer, class or form prayer, Eucharistic adoration, and Mass.
• At Home: Prayer is supported by resources in the school newsletter, encouraging families to pray together.

We pray with staff:

• Meetings: All meetings begin with prayer.
• Staff briefing: Each Tuesday includes a prayer led by a different member of staff.
• Training days: Begin with prayer, reflection, or Mass.
• Ongoing formation: Staff are supported in their spiritual growth through formation opportunities.

Each classroom has a prayer focus/ sacred space. Children use it as a focal point when they pray. It will include:

• A cloth in the liturgical colour of the season
• A crucifix and candle
• A statue, artefact, or symbol linked to the Church’s year or themes
• Formal prayers, prayer cards, and scripture texts
• Students’ own prayers

 Prayer takes a variety of forms and types and these are used with the children on a regular basis:

Forms of Prayer:

Students experience a rich variety of prayer, including:

• Formal prayers of the Church
• Spontaneous prayer led by students or staff
• Prayers from the Mass
• Readings from Scripture
• Hymns (as St Augustine reminds us, “Singing is praying twice”)
• Students’ written prayers
• Actions, signs, and symbols
• Guided meditation and Lectio Divina
• Silent prayer and adoration

Types of Prayer:

We help students to grow in using the four main types of prayer:

• Thanks – giving gratitude to God
• Asking (petition/intercession) – seeking God’s help and the prayers of Our Lady and the saints
• Praise – expressing love for God and his creation
• Sorry (contrition) – asking for forgiveness

Writing Prayers:

When students write their own prayers, they are taught to use the “You, Who, Do” structure:

You - greeting God (e.g. “Loving God…”)                                                                                                  

Who - recognising who God is (e.g. “you care for all your children…”)

Do - making a request (e.g. “help us to show kindness to others…”)

St Thomas More Catholic Academy and Sixth  Form College Prayer

Lord God,

during our time at this school, give us

the grace to allow your Holy Spirit to work

through us.

Help us to speak, think and study

with honesty and respect for others, to celebrate all that is life-giving and

to encourage one another confident

in the knowledge that we are all God’s children.

Inspire us to love one another as you

have loved us.

St Thomas More,

Pray for us!

Useful Prayers

Sign of the Cross
In the name of the father, and of the son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Our Father
Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary
Hail Mary, Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of death.
Amen.

Eternal Rest
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.
Amen.

The Glory Be
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

The Angelus
V- The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.

R- And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

(V - Hail Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus

R – Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.)

V- Behold the handmaid of the Lord.

R- Be it done unto me according to thy word. (Hail Mary....)

V- And the Word was made Flesh.

R- And dwelt among us. (Hail Mary....)

V- Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.

R- That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:
Pour forth we beseech thee, O Lord, thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the incarnation of Christ, thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by his passion and cross, be brought to the glory of his resurrection,
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen

Termly Collective Liturgy and Prayer Programme

At St Thomas More each form room has a poster displayed which is referred to frequently during form time prayer. A new one is issued each month. 

The Lectionary is the collection of scripture readings the Church uses throughout the year.  We have a three year cycle A, B and C.  The weekday readings at Mass follow a two year cycle .

The posters are coloured according to the main liturgical theme for the month.

The colours used are white or gold, purple, green, red, Rose and black. 

White (or gold), since it is a festive, joyful colour, is used during the Christmas and Easter seasons, and on major feast days, such as, on the celebrations of the Lord other than of his Passion, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, of the Holy Angels, and of Saints who were not martyrs, and on the Solemnities of All Saints. 

Purple (or violet) symbolises repentance and penance. Vestments of purple or violet are used during the seasons of Advent and Lent.

The colour reminds us of the violet flower that bows its head and is a symbol of humility. Lent is the season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. It is a quiet season of reflection. 

Green is a sign of life in nature and as such it represents growth, life and hope. Green is the colour worn most often during liturgies in Ordinary Time. It symbolises the graces that draw people into the life of God. Most of the Church's year is Ordinary Time.

Red symbolises both blood and fire. It is the colour that is used on Passion (Palm) Sunday, Pentecost Sunday, and for celebrations of the Sacrament of Confirmation. It is also the colour that has traditionally been associated with martyrs – those who have shed their blood for their faith – and so it is worn on the feast days of martyrs.

Rose is the colour that may be used on the Third Sunday of Advent and the Fourth Sunday of Lent. On both of these days, the Entrance Antiphon calls us to rejoice, so the pink vestments mark a softening of the penitential tone of the season.

Black is the colour of mourning and sorrow and can be used for All Souls Day, Remembrance Sunday and for Requiem Masses or Funerals. 

During form prayer time, students refer to the cycle of prayer and the Saints Days as they occur.

We also promote the prayer intentions of our Holy Father, Pope Francis. By using these intentions we are uniting ourselves with Catholics throughout the world, this is appropriate as the word ‘Catholic’ means universal. As our leader, he encourages us all to pray for particular intentions each month.

 Prayer and Liturgy Policy