Stations of the Cross
Deacon Seamus has been leading Year 8 classes in a short service on the Stations of the Cross. The Stations of the Cross service, remembers the events of Good Friday whilst focusing on 14 images or stations, each representing a specific event on Jesus’ journey to His crucifixion. Each class has responded beautifully, demonstrating high levels of maturity, whilst enjoying the time for reflection and prayer.
Briars Week at St. Pauls
Years 7 + 9 have spent a week at the Briars – Year 9 Mon-Wed and Year 7, Wed-Friday.
The Briars work with young people from all across the diocese offering our young people the opportunity to step out of their everyday life, to focus on their relationship with themselves, each other and with God. Days are packed with team building, teaching, prayer, fun and smiles all round! Our thanks to Deacon Seamus; Mr. Morbey; Ms. Pinel; Miss McManus and Mrs. Patel for accompanying the students.
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday, marks the first day of Lent. A Holy day of prayer where staff and students across all year groups, attended Liturgies with the blessing and distribution of ashes.
Jubilee Feast Day Mass
This year, our Jubilee Feast Day Mass was celebrated at English Martyrs school with student and staff representatives from primary and secondary schools, within the Thomas Aquinas CMAT. 15 of our students from Years 7-9 attended as servers, readers, and banner carrier, along with our Principal, Mrs. Conaghan and Deacon Seamus. 💜🧡🙏✝️
Epiphany Blessing of the Doors
Despite the horrendous weather and our internet going down, we welcomed everyone back to school on the Feast of the Epiphany when the wise men, visited baby Jesus. In many countries, ‘Chalking the doors’ is an old epiphany tradition where we ask for God’s blessing on the home. The blessing is something that we do here at St. Paul’s. The gospel tells us that the magi (wise men) found Christ “on entering the house”. The door to our home is a holy threshold. You can bless those who come in and go out by inscribing above the door in chalk the first two numbers of the year + C + M + B + the last two numbers of the year- 20 + C + M + B + 25. Tradition tells us that the letters represent the names of the magi: Caspar, Malchior and Bethasar. It may also mean “Christus mansionem benedicat” or “may Christ bless this dwelling”. Mrs. Conaghan hosted an assembly and Deacon Seamus gave out the 2025 blessing door signage and will bless the doors with holy water this week; this means, we are all blessed as we walk through our school doors.
Annual Carol Service
Our annual carol service took place earlier this week with our school choir and orchestra taking centre stage, with readings from Year 7 and Year 12 students. The staff choir were on show too! It was lovely to see so many parents and families attend. Our thanks to Deacon Seamus for leading the service and to all staff and students involved. A lovely way to start the Christmas celebrations.
Crib – Leicester General Hospital
If you are in the Leicester General Hospital over Christmas then do pop into the Chapel to see the Crib Figures made by Year 7 students at St Paul’s and Yr 6 students at St John Fisher School. With thanks to LACY and Ed Pike (Hospital Chaplain) for asking us to create them. This morning a group of students with Deacon Seamus blessed the crib and sang carols with staff from the Hospital and members of LACY (Leicester Active Catholic Youth).
George White meets Pope Francis
Teacher of RE, George White, was invited to meet Pope Francis after his papal audience on Wednesday 23rd October as part of a larger group of transgender Catholics. He presented Pope Francis with a book titled Trans Life in the Catholic Church today to which he contributed a chapter. He also sent the Pope a letter explaining that he is now a teacher at St Paul’s, the school he attended as a child and was baptised in at the age of 16.
Ceferino Chaplaincy Team
Our Ceferino (Chaplaincy) Team carried out training with our Year 7 students led by some of our Year 8 Ceferino Team. We celebrated Mass with the parishioners of St Joseph’s Church where Fr Vitalis blessed our Ceferino badges, at the end of the Mass.
Year 7 Welcome Mass
Year 7 welcome mass celebrated by Fr. David at St. Josephs attended by Mrs. Conaghan. Deacon Seamus and our Year 7 Tutors.
Year 7 choose their Patron Saint – St. Jose del Rio 2024
After playing ‘Who wants to be a Patron Saint’ each form, presented the Saint they had been researching – St John Bosco; St Oscar Romero; Bl Chiara Badano; St Josephine Bakhita; Mother Teresa of Calcutta and St Jose del Rio. St Jose del Rio received the highest number of votes and therefore, will be their Patron Saint over the next five years at St. Paul’s
St Jose del Rio was put to death for his Catholic Faith, at the age of 14 by the Mexican authorities in 1928. He refused to give up his faith, despite torture at a time when Catholics were being persecuted by the Mexican government.
Sixth Form Welcome Mass
Fr. Bertrand and Deacon Seamus celebrating Mass to welcome our Sixth Form
Fr. Bertrand celebrates mass with 11P
We were visited by Fr Bertrand who came to celebrate our 11P Class Mass. Fr Bertrand has been studying in France but will be returning to his home country Burkina Faso after his short stay in Leicester. His Bishop has asked him to open a school – but they have little resources to achieve it. We have promised to support Fr Bertrand‘s project in any way we can!
St. Paul on The Wall
For the last two weeks before Easter, students will need to discover a quote from St Paul’s writings in the Bible. Those who answer ten quotes correctly will be entered into a draw, to win a Lindt Easter Egg!
Electing a new Pope
Our students have been learning about how a new Pope is selected.
When the Pope dies, the new leader of the Catholic Church is chosen through a papal conclave – a meeting of the College of Cardinals, which is made up of senior church officials from around the world.
Of the 252 Cardinals, 135, all aged under 80, gather in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City where they take an oath of secrecy, about the proceedings. The process of electing a new Pope, can take days and a candidate will need the support of 90 Cardinals to become Pope.
In forms, students have embraced the opportunity to ‘Adopt a Cardinal’ to pray for them, that the Holy Spirit, will help them to make their decision and to vote wisely.
