CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN OXFORD AREA
Witney, St Hugh of Lincoln NURSERY School
Abingdon, St Edmund’s Primary School
Carterton, St Joseph’s Primary School
Cowley, Our Lady’s Primary School
Kidlington, St Thomas More Primary School
Littlemore, St John Fisher Primary School
Oxford, St Aloysius Primary School
Oxford, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School
Thame, St Joseph’s Primary School
Witney, Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School
ST. GREGORY THE GREAT, OXFORD. CATHOLIC SCHOOL
INDEPENDENT SCHOOL FOR GIRLS Rye St Antony’s
INSET PROGRAMMES
Visitation
PRESS RELEASE: CATHOLIC EDUCATION
Youth Matters
Sowing the Seeds!
Child Protection
Message Board
Guestbook
Please would you say where you are enquiring from and your age group?
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Parish Visitation ans Schools
Visitation
“…a moment in which a parish community reflects on its own life in Christ and receives the affirmation and direction of the bishop or his appointed representative.”
The twofold invitation given to us by Christ:
1 Communion: The life of God we share in Christ
“We seek… to live more closely to Christ, to be aware everyday of his presence and of his unfailing love for us,” sharing in his divine life, the life of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Although this communion is best expressed in receiving his Body and Blood in holy communion, it lasts every minute of the day. We come together as a parish community, a “ ‘community in Christ’ and of the Church as the family of God.” We will always be seeking a “greater closeness to the Lord in the Community of faith”. The ‘communion’ of a parish community, therefore, comprises all those activities which seek to foster and strengthen the life of faith and Christian fellowship within its members.
2 Mission: The task we receive of proclaiming our faith in society.
“..We seek to show our faith to others by the way we live,” and by sharing the mission of Christ that all people may “know, love and serve God and to open for them the way to the Father.” At the same time displaying a “readiness to show our faith to others by the way we speak and act.” The ‘mission’ of a parish community comprises all those ways in which we encourage the proclamation of the Catholic faith, in word and deed, to those who have never heard it or are neglecting it.
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Parish Visitation - Parish information
PARISH VISITATION – Oxford North Deanery
1. Of the 13 parishes in the deanery 2 will be visited by the Archbishop (St Thomas More and Our Lady & St Hugh). 2 by Bishop Pargeter (Ss Gregory & Augustine and Our Lady Help of Christians), the other 9 by Canon Farrell.
2. The Visitation will begin with the Opening Meeting at Greyfriars on Wed 24th Sept with Evening Prayer at 7pm for 20 minutes. After that everybody goes to the hall for the meeting at 7.45pm.
3. Each Parish is to send 10 representatives to the meeting with the parish clergy and each parish will produce 150 copies of the parish profile for the people coming to the meeting.
4. The Dean will give a 3 minute presentation of the Deanery profile.
5. Each parish, starting with the oldest, has one representative presenting a 3 minute summary of the parish profile.
6. Those who do the presentation are to come at 6pm to the hall for a practice.
7. The chaplains of Travelling People and Educational Institutions may each have their inputs
8. A sound system will loop for the hard of hearing will be made available at the expense of the deanery.
9. Deanery Prayer Cards will be available to people of all parishes.
10. Archbishop will visit all Catholic Schools on Wed 24th September.
11. Youth Mass will be celebrated on the Feast of Christ the King at St. Anthony’s at 5pm
12. At the weekend of the parish visitation the visitor will come to stay at the presbytery. He will preside at the main Sunday Masses Interview the parish clergy and ask them about their well being Look at the parish records Meet representatives of different pastorally functioning groups
13. Closing meeting will take place at St Anthony’s on Wednesday 10th December 2003 with a 30 minute feedback from the visitors at 7pm and Mass at 7-45pm. Some refreshments in St. Joseph’s School Hall follow this.
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Parish Visitation - Schools visited
Some questions that could be addressed in preparation for the visitation:
Communion
The school is a central part of the parish community.
Is the Eucharist at the centre of what we do in school?
How does this manifest itself?
The ethos of the school:
How would people know that this is a Catholic School that belongs to our parish?
Through the staff and their approach?
Through the pupils and their behaviour?
Through the parents and their attitudes?
Perhaps we may ask ourselves:
How do the activities of our school foster and strengthen the life of faith and Christian fellowship within its Christian members?
How does this reach out to others?
Does the school have an active and positive prayer life through taking part in:
Masses and assemblies, e.g. whole school or class, etc.,
Opportunities for individual prayer,
Exploring the prayer traditions of the Church,
Other celebrations such as harvest festival, etc.
Mission
How do we put our faith into practice?
Does it show in the way we treat each other:
in our local community,
in the world community, through fund raising,
through including others, e.g. the elderly members of the Church community. Through prayer?
Are their active links through:
parish organisations,
sacramental programmes,
e.g. at confirmation do we help children become aware of their opportunity for ministry in the local parish community, e.g. altar serving, choir, children’s liturgy, etc.
Are they becoming aware of the wider community e.g. the Archdiocese?
Who are the people who support the mission of the school? Priest, teachers, other staff, parents, parishioners, what contribution do they make? How does the school encourage them to contribute? E.g. school governor, voluntary help in the school.
(It would be a proactive step to have a short report that looks at these and any other positive aspects of the school to give to the Archbishop if he visits the school for him to take away with him. )
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