Chaplaincy

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you”
John 15:12

School Chaplain – Linda Walmsley

At Holy Cross, the role of our Lay Chaplain is to accompany our young people and staff, meeting them where they are in their faith journey and giving them the space and the opportunity to enter into a full and fulfilling relationship with God and to grow within that relationship.  The model for our Chaplaincy is the disciples’ encounter with Jesus on the road to Emmaus:

Luke 24:15 ‘Jesus himself came and walked by their side’

The Chaplain walks with us all, with our newest year 7 pupils, and the staff who have been at Holy Cross for many years; with those who have a deep and growing Catholic faith, and those of other faiths, or of none.

Luke 24:29 ‘So he went in and stayed with them.’

The Chaplain can open the door to new experiences and be the invitation to new opportunities.

Luke 24:30 ‘Now while he was with them at the table, he took the bread and said the blessing.’

The Chaplain provides opportunities for people to gather in prayer and worship, to meditate, to celebrate, to make holy and give thanks.

Luke 24:32 ‘Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road

and explained the scriptures to us?’

Part of the Chaplain’s role is to proclaim the Gospel, fulfilling the baptismal vocation to share in the prophetic role of Christ, and to encourage and enable others to fulfil their own vocation.

Luke 24:35 ‘They then told their story of what had happened on the road.’

A lot of what the Chaplain does involves listening to and sharing in people’s story; who they are, where they have come from, and where they are going.

Luke 24:35 ‘They had recognised him in the breaking of bread.’

The sacraments are there to feed, nourish and strengthen us.  The Chaplain creates opportunities for everyone to participate in the Sacraments, both within the school and in the wider community.

At Holy Cross, our mission is rooted in scripture, the understanding that our lives have meaning and purpose because of Christ’s presence.  As a school, we strive to give every person the chance to fulfil their potential, knowing that they have been created by God for a specific purpose, a purpose that is theirs alone.

Each part of our mission statement is a challenge:

• by developing a greater understanding of our personal relationship with God, we grow in our love for him;
• we work hard to make the most of our God-given talents, so that we can become the very best versions of the people he created us to be;
• in the kindness we show to others, we reveal God’s love to them; we allow his light to shine in our world; we engage in the work of building this kingdom.

Chaplaincy at Holy Cross is led by our Lay Chaplain, Linda, who is can usually be found in the Chapel.  It is here that our Faith in Action and Bible Group meet and where we co-ordinate our charity collections throughout the year.  The Chapel is open to staff and pupils throughout the day and it is a place of calm in the midst of our busy school.

Each day at Holy Cross begins with prayer; in the Chapel, in tutor bases, or in the main hall.  Our themes for prayer follow the liturgical calendar and Prayer and Liturgy is planned on the gather-listen-respond-go forth model, using a variety of forms to facilitate meaningful, relevant and powerful prayer experiences.  Staff and pupils are enabled and encouraged to participate in Prayer and Liturgy on many different levels, with training given in proclaiming the word, writing prayers and creating prayer services and ministering as Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist.  Many of our pupils are very visible role models in ministry, both within school and in our parishes.

We have worked hard to establish and develop close links with our local groups, parish communities and our Catholic primary schools.  Our outreach programme includes Youth Masses, Christmas Carol Services and Stations of the Cross at St Gregory’s, celebrations in other churches and the preparation of candidates for Confirmation in all of our parishes. Through our involvement with these communities, we are able to demonstrate our active faith, supporting the young, the old and the vulnerable.