Chaplaincy

It is fair to say that at St Wilfrid’s we aim to do far more than simply give our pupils a secular education. It is also true to say that we see ourselves as more than simply providing a service. Obviously our mission encompasses both those things very strongly, but as a Catholic school we try to see every single person in the way that God sees them: each with a unique and beautiful set of gifts and talents, a spiritual life, a place in the world and each called to communion with God and with one another. As such, we try to ensure that our school is a loving caring community, marked out by its strong and loving Gospel values and emphasising the Christian dimension in all that we do.

 

My name is Jack Regan and I am lucky enough to be the Lay Chaplain at St. Wilfrid’s, working with our excellent team of deanery clergy and with many others in the community to ensure that our pupils are given an opportunity to grow in their relationships with God during their time at the school and to help them to see the good in themselves. As Lay Chaplain I am supported by a Chaplaincy Committee made up of staff who voluntarily help out with support, advice and in a range of other ways.

 

Chaplaincy work in the school has many faces. There are the daily prayer resources that are used in classrooms, the weekly Mass, larger Masses for special occasions, events to mark the various seasons and feast days in the Church, charity and fund-raising events, as well as helping our year heads with pastoral support and a whole host of other things. As Lay Chaplain it is also my job to run the school’s retreat programme; a programme which offers a retreat to each student in years 7 to 11 every year. For Years 7 to 9, there are day retreats and for year 10 and year 11 there are residentials. These provide students with a valuable opportunity to take a step back from their studies for a period of time to reflect and bond with one another in a different setting. Mass and/ or prayer are normally central to these times.

 

Another important function of chaplaincy is to develop links with local parishes and primary schools. We recognise that we are by no means in it alone, so to speak. We are lucky to have such an amazing community in this deanery.

 

It’s also the job of the Lay Chaplain to provide spiritual support for staff, recognising as we do, that supporting those who do the work of the school is as important as the support we give to our pupils.

 

The work of Chaplaincy at St. Wilfrid’s is challenging and massively rewarding. We are blessed at the school with a lovely group of students and a supportive and caring group of staff. The prayers of those who want to remember us are always welcome!

 

Any young people who want to know what’s going on, or who are looking for resources should check out the chaplaincy section on the VLE. Alternatively, my door is always open!