Celebration of the Sacraments

Year 7 celebrate mass with their parents on the first day of term.  This is an important milestone for the children as they join our community.

On the feast of Holy Cross we celebrate mass as a whole school community and reflect on the significance of the cross and what it means to our Catholic faith.

On their last formal day at Holy Cross our Year 11 pupils and staff celebrate all their achievements and contributions to our community with the final year group mass.

Staff gather as a group to celebrate mass throughout the academic year.  At the start of the year we reflect on our purpose and duty of service.  At the end of each term we celebrate our talents and achievements and give thanks to those colleagues who leave.

In the spring term we are joined by all our Catholic feeder primary schools on a pilgrimage to St Mary’s Church in Chorley.  This is a wonderful occasion when all the Catholic schools give witness to their faith as one community to celebrate mass.

During Lent pupils are given the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation in school.  This is an important reminder of the need for self-reflection as we move into the Easter period.  Our Day of Reconciliation will take place on Friday 20 March 2026.

All pupils in Year 8 and above, who were baptised in a Catholic church, are invited to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.  We follow the Archdiocesan programme of preparation, which begins with the teaching of the theology of the Sacraments in Year 7.  In Year 8, pupils register online and then continue their preparation with priests and catechists in the parishes, ensuring that they feel welcomed and that they understand the important role they have to play in their church community.

Confirmation Masses usually take place in June, with families of parishes coming together.  In 2025 91 young people from 11 parishes were Confirmed at St Mary’s, St Gregory’s and St Joseph’s, by Archbishop John Sherrington.