Chaplaincy
Chaplaincy
When your child accepts a place at Saint Paul’s Catholic High School, you and your family become part of a very special community; which has Christ at its centre. The Chaplaincy is here to enrich this community by ensuring the core gospel values of love, compassion, stewardship, respect and service are at the centre of all our relationships and activities.
Here at Saint Pauls, we nurture those who are within our school family. We pray each day in our forms and focus on trying to develop our understanding of our own faiths. Leading by example, each staff member within our school community is determined to live out the Gospel values through committing to support our young people. We place importance on Catholic Social Teaching, and value the dignity of the human being; and fulfill our duties as Catholic practioners, by building our children up throughout their time here at Saint Pauls, to then become well rounded and ambitious young adults as they leave Year 11.
We offer opportunities for our students to put their faith into action through charity work and involvement in the Youth SVP group. We also offer opportunities for our students to practise their faith at certain times of the year.
We see it as vitally important that students get the opportunity to encounter faith and prayer from a different perspective through a retreat experience. With Covid restrictions now allowing for gatherings, we have began to reintroduce our retreats for our KS3 students. We look forward to continuing to work with our students to build and foster lasting relationships with their peers that will last a lifetime, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Confirmations
Our parishes have been pleased with the popularity of last years Sacrament of Confirmation, and invite those in our school to come and join us this year to start on your journey with the Church.
Don’t worry if you are unsure. It can be daunting thinking about becoming confirmed, but its lots of fun and you can meet lots of new people from all around Wythenshawe during our meetings! We play lots of games, and eat lots of pizza!
If you or your child would like to sign up for the Sacrament and the preparation course then please contact your parish. Alternatively, speak to Mr Kilburn at school, and he can give you some more details.
Young people interested in being Confirmed (from Year 7 – 11) are also invited to join the Youth Group EXITE, which meets at Sacred Heart. This is a youth group within the Church that get together and play games and socialise. For more information, contact your parish or speak with Mr Kilburn at school.
New Saints Form Groups
For the academic year 2022-2023, Saint Paul’s has introduced new Saints for the form groups.
At Saint Paul’s we find it important to have role models for all within our school community. With this in mind, nine new Catholic Saints have been selected to represent the students who are within our school. We believe that students should see role models that they themselves can find similarities with.
We hope that our new Saints inspire our students to be the best that they can be and continue the work of the Holy Spirit with the Wythenshawe community and beyond.
Catholic Life Newsletters
Our RE Catholic Life newsletters can be downloaded here:
Catholic Life Summer 2023 Newsletter
Catholic Life Spring 2023 Newsletter
Catholic Life Autumn 2022 Newsletter
Catholic Life Summer 2022 Newsletter
Parish Newsletters
Our parish newsletters can be downloaded here:
Schools Come Together for MiniDASH
Autumn 2022
Students from Saint Paul’s joined with students from other schools in the Diocese to take part in the Mini DASH (Diocesan Association of Secondary Head teachers) meeting which is organised by the Diocese of Shrewsbury.
The meeting is for Head Teachers and a selection of students also attend to meet with students from other Catholic schools and take part in various activities related to their faith.
The meeting for the students is held at the same time as the secondary head teachers of the Diocese of Shrewsbury meet together. Students were able to share and discuss a wide variety of ideas and suggestions and were encouraged to take the ideas back to their own schools, passing them on and developing them.
Harrison Kilburn, Chaplain at Saint Paul’s, commented: “Mr Whiteside and I took a group of Key Stage 3 students to a Mini DASH event at Ellesmere Port Catholic High School where we had the pleasure of joining other Shrewsbury Diocese secondary schools. The event was focussed on the month of the Rosary, and the students created their own Rosary beads to commemorate the life of St Faustina, whom gave us the prayer of the ‘Chaplet of Divine Mercy’.
We also worked as a group to create our own Rosary bead display, which now hangs proud in our school Chapel. The students were fantastic throughout the day, and I am glad that they benefited from reflection in prayer during their activities.”
“At the Mini DASH the students engaged in themed collaborative activities and then fed-back what they had discussed and learned to the heads,” explained Mr Mike Whiteside, Deputy Headteacher at Saint Paul’s. “The day was extremely uplifting and it was an excellent opportunity for the students to mix with students from different schools. The students were able to get together and share their thoughts and ideas. “
Summer 2022
Students from Saint Paul’s Catholic High School joined with students from other schools in the Diocese to take part in the Mini DASH (Diocesan Association of Secondary Head teachers) meeting which is organised by the Diocese of Shrewsbury.
The meeting is for Head Teachers and a selection of students also attend to meet with students from other Catholic schools and take part in various activities related to their faith.
The meeting for the students is held at the same time as the secondary head teachers of the Diocese of Shrewsbury meet together. Students were able to share and discuss a wide variety of ideas and suggestions and were encouraged to take the ideas back to their own schools, passing them on and developing them.
Harrison Kilburn, Chaplain at Saint Paul’s, commented: “Mr Whiteside and I took five students, who are part of the schools Youth SVP group, to Chester where they participated in a Diocese wide school event. This was our first in person Mini DASH event for over two years, as we have had to break due to Covid, which made the event extra special.
Our schools had the opportunity to celebrate Mass with our Bishop, Bishop Mark, which also added to the excitement of the day. We thoroughly enjoyed our day and look forward to the events that will take place next year.
The students had the opportunity to mix with other students within our Diocese which we have missed with Covid. The students were able to properly experience meeting others from around the Shrewsbury Diocese which was really good to see, and they loved every second of it!”
“At the Mini DASH the students engaged in themed collaborative activities and then fed-back what they had discussed and learned to the heads,” explained Mr Mike Whiteside, Deputy Headteacher at Saint Paul’s. “The day was extremely uplifting and it was an excellent opportunity for the students to mix with students from different schools. The students were able to get together and share their thoughts and ideas. “
Charity
Fundraising for Caritas
Thank you to everyone who contributed to our fundraising for the Good Shepherd Appeal, for CARITAS, a social justice agency who do some amazing work here in Wythenshawe with our families. Our “wear something green” appeal on St Patrick’s Day was very successful.
Mr Kilburn explained: “On Friday 17 March, students and staff at St Paul’s celebrated the feast day of St Patrick by wearing an item of green clothing, accompanied by a donation towards CARITAS, our chosen Catholic charity that works to aid those in our community that need support. Together we managed to raise over £140 through 50p donations from those in school. A substantial donation that will go towards the support given to our community.”
Foodbank Appeal
Saint Paul’s students have come together over the Christmas period to collect food and toiletries for those in need in the Wythenshawe community.
We would like to thank Wythenshawe Foodbank and Caritas Foodbank for their support and acceptance of our donations. We hope that these donations can bring comfort to those who will receive them.
For anyone that needs support, please follow the following links to both Caritas and Wythenshawe foodbank websites and contact details. The staff at both centres are filled with compassion and work confidentially, so you are able to comfortably find any help that you may need.
Finally, thank you for the support given to our school from the parents and carers of our students. The donations given are an example of the care and compassion that your children express each day at Saint Paul’s.
Wythenshawe Foodbank: https://wythenshawe.foodbank.org.uk/contact-us/ | 07518198645 | [email protected]
Caritas Manchester Office: St Aidan’s Centre, 230a Wythenshawe Road, Wythenshawe, Manchester, M23 0PH | [email protected] | 0161 998 8802
Raising money for charity
Over the Christmas period, Year 10 pupil Alex has been using his talents to make a difference for charity. He has been creating Christmas trees out of paper, which he has then sold independently out of the library.
Alex has truly shown the power that an individual can make for charities. Well done, Alex.
Year 7 Liturgy
Staff, students, parents and friends of Saint Paul’s joined together to welcome to the school the new Year 7 students and their parents/carers and their families.
The school sees the Liturgy as an extremely important part of the Year 7 Induction process which includes introducing the new intake to learning, pastoral and faith.
Our new Year 7s joined together to celebrate them starting their new journey at Saint Paul’s. The service was a fantastic opportunity for our Year 7 pupils to show what they have been doing in collective worship and on their retreat and for their parents/carers to meet their form tutors informally.
“Our new Year 7s joined together to celebrate their welcome service. As well as celebrating them starting their new journey at Saint Paul’s, we also honoured our close relationship with our faith and our core values,” explained Mr Harrison Kilburn, School Chaplain. “The Year 7s have been completing posters that commemorate their form’s saint and Year 7’s core value focus; love. Each form had representatives come to the front and present their posters to the families that were in attendance.”
“It’s lovely to see the effort and enthusiasm of those students involved and for them to share such a special event with their families and friends.” explained Mr Nathan Mallon, Year 7 Progress Leader. “The Liturgy provided a wonderful opportunity to reflect on their life journey. The atmosphere was amazing; it was a truly uplifting experience.”
“It was a wonderful service, all the youngsters enthusiastically joined in and I would like to praise them on their oral skills as they read their readings and bidding prayers with great confidence,” said Mr Mike Whiteside, Deputy Headteacher. “The Liturgy is a special time for the Year 7 students, parents and staff to share in welcoming the new students to the school.”
Year 7 Retreat Days
July 2022
Our Year 7 students had the opportunity this July to participate in retreat day activities at Woodhouse Park Lifestyle Centre. The events, which took place on 04/07/2022 and 06/07/2022, were a huge success with the students enjoying fun and games as a bonding retreat and a celebration of a successful first year at St Paul’s.
The students had to work collaboratively to build free standing structures out of toothpicks and sweets, which tested their abilities to work collaboratively as a team.
We then finished off our day with prayer and reflection time. We focused our reflection on the Gospel, and in particular the parable of Good Samaritan, which Jesus taught in order to show that we should help all, and not let our prejudices get in the way of being helpful to those in need.
Harrison Kilburn comments: The children really enjoyed their day at the lifestyle centre and I believe that it helped them to recognise that we are better when we are working together.
September 2022
Prayer, Reflection and Team Building for Saint Paul’s Students!
Students from Saint Paul’s were offered an opportunity to step away from their busy lives and enjoy some quiet space for team building, reflection and prayer when they recently spent a day on retreat. The Year 7 students were able reflect on their faith and look more closely at their relationship with God as well as with their peers.
The theme for the retreat was “belonging” and the students looked at how they and others contribute to this. They engaged in a number of group-based activities exploring the theme and focusing on its impact in school, the home the local community and in the wider world. “Belonging” is the school’s core focus for the Autumn half term.
The students explored the theme through a number of activities including building midget gem structures to show the importance of team work and co-operation, and then wrote personal prayers. They gained inspiration for their prayers by reflecting on the teachings of Our Lord. The students also listened to The Parable of the Good Samaritan from Luke’s Gospel, and designed posters on our new form Saints.
The children found the value in working together, and saw the lesson within the parable will reflect on their journey through Saint Paul’s – be like the Samaritan, and help those in need wherever we can.
Mr Harrison Kilburn, Lay Chaplain at Saint Paul’s, said: “The retreat offered many bonding opportunities for the Year 7 students whilst at the same time providing a time for reflection and peace. The retreat is seen by the school as an integral part of the life-long faith formation of young people. The students withdraw from the ordinary activities of the school for a period of time to be with God in prayer and reflection.”
“We all need the space and the silence to reflect; it can help us begin to sense a deeper truth about ourselves,” explained Mr Nathan Mallon, Year 7 Progress Leader. “The retreat gave us the opportunity, not only to reflect upon our goals and ambitions and how everyone’s faith supports us in achieving these, but also a chance to get to know each other better.”
Mr Mike Whiteside, Deputy Headteacher, said: “The retreat is a spiritual exercise which provides the opportunity for our pupils to deepen their relationship with God, with others and with themselves, through reflection and prayer.”
Year 9 Retreat Day
Time of Reflection for Saint Paul’s Students
Students from Saint Paul’s Catholic High School were able to take time out from their busy lives to reflect upon themselves, their hopes and dreams and their relationships with those around them when they took part in a year group retreat.
The retreat gave the Year 9 pupils the time to develop their relationships with one another, focus on prayer and reflection and it also allowed them to work as a team during various games, activities and role plays so supporting the pupils on both their physical and spiritual journeys throughout Saint Paul’s.
The retreat provided a break from the routine of everyday school activities, where the young people were given the opportunity to look deeply at their own lives and the nature of their own belief. This was done through games, discussion, craft-activities, prayer and liturgy.
The theme of the retreats was “Set in Stone”, in which the pupils explored the theme of having strong foundations with their peers and looked at the relationships in their lives that sustain us and give us strength. The pupils explored the theme through a number of activities including reflecting on the story from Matthew’s Gospel in which Jesus taught us about building our houses on the rock rather than the sand, giving us a message of having resilience in hard times, like a house that has resilience from being built on a rock. The Church is our rock and we can build strength through this community.
The pupils completed a reflection activity in which they asked God for a prayer for both themselves and for others around them. They then painted rocks, to show the metaphor of building on strong foundations and our faith. Amongst this, they played games and completed activities that related to resilience and strong faith.
“The pupils spent time reflecting on their time at Saint Paul’s so far, focusing on the strong foundations of the friendships they had formed, the difficulties they have faced and the strengths and talents they have celebrated,” explained Mr Harrison Kilburn, Lay Chaplain at Saint Paul’s. “We were able to give the pupils a positive faith experience in an atmosphere of welcome, friendship and respect, in the hope that each individual will be able to focus on God and their potential for spiritual growth.”
Mr Mike Whiteside, Deputy Headteacher, said: “The pupils had a very enriching time, giving them the opportunity to evaluate what is important to them and to reflect on their roles in the school community and society. They were able to enhance their appreciation of spiritual values and consider the role that Christ does and can play in their lives.”
Theology and Critical Thinking
We were delighted to welcome Andy Vaughan (Head of Theology at Loreto College) and Year 12 Philosophy and Ethics student, Anastasios, to our school to talk to our Year 10 pupils.
Andy and Anastasios led a session on critical thinking looking at topics such as fact and faith, truth, bias and fake news and what does “good ” mean”.
The Year 10 pupils were really engaged and enjoyed the opportunity to develop their critical thinking skills and question the world around us.
Year 10 pupil, Emily, commented after the session: “It was a really great introduction to A level Religious Studies and really made me think about exploring this further.”
Explore the Chaplaincy Learning Journey
