Catholic Life in Action

At St Patrick’s, Catholic life is lived out every day through prayer, worship, Scripture, celebration, service and care for others. Our faith is not something that sits separately from school life; it shapes who we are, how we treat one another and how we respond to the needs of our parish, community and wider world. This page celebrates some of the ways our children live out our Catholic mission throughout the year, as they grow in God’s love and learn to follow the example of Jesus in their words, choices and actions.

Year of Jubilee: Pilgrims of Hope

As part of the Jubilee Year, our children have been learning what it means to be Pilgrims of Hope. Through prayer, reflection, artwork, acts of kindness and whole-school celebrations, pupils have explored how we can bring hope to others through our words and actions.

The Jubilee has helped us remember that hope is something we are called to share. At St Patrick’s, we encourage our children to be signs of hope in school, at home, in our parish and in the wider world, by showing love, forgiveness, kindness and care for those who need us most.

As part of our Jubilee journey, we were delighted to welcome the beautiful Pilgrim of Grace statue of Our Lady into our Prayer Room. The statue was passed to us from St Bridget’s, Egremont, as part of its journey around Catholic schools in the Diocese. During its time at St Patrick’s, children visited the Prayer Room to pray, reflect and think about Mary’s importance in our lives. Some of our pupils then accompanied the statue as it continued its journey to St Joseph’s, helping us feel connected to other Catholic schools through prayer, faith and hope.

Some of our Year 6 pupils joined other Catholic schools from across West Cumbria at St Mary’s Church to celebrate the Lancaster Diocese Centenary and the Mass of Our Lady of Walsingham. This was a special opportunity for our children to pray and celebrate with the wider Catholic community, alongside St Joseph’s School and Father Paul. The celebration helped our pupils feel part of something bigger than our own school, reminding them that we belong to a wider parish, Diocese and family of faith. 

At Christmas, our Prayer Room became a special place for quiet reflection, with a beautiful Nativity scene set up for the children to visit during Advent. Families were also invited to visit during our Christmas Fair, write a special Christmas prayer and hang it on the tree. This helped our children and families pause during a busy season and remember the true meaning of Christmas: the birth of Jesus, God’s gift of love and hope to the world.

During Advent, our children were invited to take part in special Advent homework challenges to help them prepare for Christmas. One of our favourite tasks was to “do an act of kindness”, encouraging children to think about others and share love in practical ways. We were delighted to see children taking this to heart, including two pupils who took treats to a local care home. This was a lovely example of our children remembering that Advent is not only a time of waiting, but also a time to bring kindness, joy and hope to others.

Our school choir joined the local Blessing of the Crib service during Advent, helping the community pause in the busyness of the build-up to Christmas and remember its true meaning. The children sang beautifully and shared the joy and hope of the season with others.

On Ash Wednesday, our children marked the beginning of Lent by receiving ashes and making their Lenten promises. Some children had also visited Nature School to burn palms, which were then used as part of the Ash Wednesday service. This helped pupils understand the meaning of the ashes and reflect on Lent as a time to pray, give, give up and grow closer to God.     

Father Paul also visited our children in The Willows to give out ashes, helping them take part in this special moment in a calm, familiar and meaningful way. This was a lovely example of our parish and school working together so that every child can feel included in the prayer and worship life of St Patrick’s.

As part of our Catholic life, we came together in prayer to remember Pope Francis following the sad news of his death. As a school community, we prayed for him using the words, “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.” This was an important moment for our children to understand that we are part of the worldwide Catholic Church, united in prayer with Catholics across the world.

Our Year 2 children explored the story of Pentecost through Godly Play in the Prayer Room. Through storytelling, wondering and play, the children were able to reflect on how the Holy Spirit came to the disciples and gave them courage to share the Good News. This helped them understand Pentecost as a special moment in the life of the Church and gave them a calm, prayerful way to encounter Scripture.

Our Reception children were delighted when Father Paul surprised them as their Mystery Reader. He shared a story with the children and even included some singing, making it a very special and memorable visit. This was a lovely example of our close parish links and helped our youngest children see Father Paul as an important and familiar part of our St Patrick’s family.

This child picked up the baby and gently blessed its head, showing a beautiful understanding of how Baptism is a sign of welcome, love and belonging in God’s family.

Year 6 were delighted to welcome Deacon Dave into school. He spoke to the children about his life, faith and vocation, helping them understand how people can live out their faith through service to others. This was a valuable opportunity for our oldest pupils to ask questions, reflect on their own values and see how faith can guide the choices we make in life.

Another beautiful moment in our Prayer Room was seeing one of our children quietly connect with the statue of Mary. This gentle moment of reflection showed how our Prayer Room helps children encounter faith in a personal and meaningful way, giving them space to feel close to Mary, to pray and to experience peace and calm.

During Arts Week, our children created artwork linked to RE, Bible stories and Holy Week. They explored their faith creatively, using art to reflect on key moments in Scripture and the story of Jesus. Their beautiful work was displayed as part of our art exhibition, giving families the opportunity to see how faith, creativity and learning come together at St Patrick’s.

One of our pupils, Ianthe, noticed that we have prayers for the morning, lunchtime and home time, but not for playtime. She thoughtfully wrote her own special prayer, thanking God for the friends we make and asking Him to keep us safe and help us make good choices. We loved it so much that it became a prayer to be shared daily in all classes. This was a beautiful example of pupil voice, faith in action and a child helping to shape the prayer life of our school.

We were delighted to receive a lovely message from a parent about the kindness shown by our children during morning drop-off. Moments like this mean so much to us, because they show that our children are living out our school values in small, everyday ways. Their kindness, care and thoughtfulness help make St Patrick’s a welcoming school family where everyone feels noticed, valued and loved.

Our Year 6 children visited the beautiful St Peter’s Cathedral as part of their wider Catholic life and learning. During their visit, they were shown around by Father John Paul and learned about the different parts of the church, the role of the bishops and the history of the cathedral. They also had time to appreciate the quiet and reflective atmosphere of this special sacred space. This visit helped our pupils understand more about the wider Catholic Church and their place within the Diocese.

At St Patrick’s, we are proud of the way our children show kindness, generosity and support for others. Some of our pupils have been inspired by local hero Gary McKee and his amazing fundraising for Hospice at Home. 

One of our pupils, Mia, showed wonderful compassion by donating her own pocket money to support Gary’s cause and encouraging others to do the same. This was a beautiful example of a child recognising the needs of others and choosing to respond with love and generosity.

Our children also painted special rocks and took them to the cycle track as part of the Rocky McKee: Pathway of Stones, showing their support for Gary during his latest challenge. The children were so excited to be part of something positive in the local community, and their pride and enthusiasm showed just how much they care.

As a school, we have also held Colour Runs to raise money for Hospice at Home. It was a joyful and energetic way for our whole school community to come together in support of a very special local charity. Through events like this, our children learn that living our faith means using our words, actions, energy and gifts to make a difference to others.