Mass
Whole School Mass
Mass is at the heart of the Church and at the heart of our school’s prayer and liturgy.
Mass gathers us as our St Edmund Campion faith community to worship God, listen to Scripture, and celebrate the Eucharist. In Mass, we encounter Jesus Christ, give thanks for God’s love, seek forgiveness, and are strengthened to live as his disciples.
Through regular celebration of Mass, our children grow in their understanding of Catholic faith and develop a deeper sense of belonging, purpose, and mission within the life of the Church.
Children are encouraged to take an active role in preparing and leading school Masses. This supports their formation in prayer and worship and helps them to participate reverently and confidently in liturgy. Through these roles, pupils learn that prayer is communal, that Scripture is lived, and that worship inspires action.
At every school Mass, the priest proclaims the Gospel and shares a homily to help pupils understand God’s Word, reflect on how it applies to their lives, and respond to the call to live the Gospel in their choices, relationships, and service to others.
Annual Programme of Child-led Masses
| Celebration | Approximate Time Each Year | Children’s Roles in the Liturgy |
|---|---|---|
| Start of School Year Mass | Early September | Readers, Prayers of the Faithful, Hymn Leaders/Choir, Altar Servers, Offertory Procession |
| Harvest Mass | Late September / Early October | Readers, Prayers of the Faithful, Hymn Leaders/Choir, Altar Servers, Offertory Procession |
| St Edmund Campion Feast Day Mass | 1st December (or nearest school day) | Readers, Prayers of the Faithful, Hymn Leaders/Choir, Altar Servers, Offertory Procession |
| Advent Mass | Early–Mid December | Readers, Prayers of the Faithful, Hymn Leaders/Choir, Altar Servers, Offertory Procession |
| Epiphany Mass | Early January (first week back) | Readers, Prayers of the Faithful, Hymn Leaders/Choir, Altar Servers, Offertory Procession |
| Ash Wednesday Mass | February / March (date changes each year) | Readers, Prayers of the Faithful, Hymn Leaders/Choir, Altar Servers |
| Holy Week Mass | Week before Easter (late March / April) | Readers, Prayers of the Faithful, Hymn Leaders/Choir, Altar Servers, Offertory Procession |
| Easter Mass | First week back after Easter break | Readers, Prayers of the Faithful, Hymn Leaders/Choir, Altar Servers, Offertory Procession |
| Ascension Mass | May (40 days after Easter) | Readers, Prayers of the Faithful, Hymn Leaders/Choir, Altar Servers, Offertory Procession |
| Pentecost Mass | May / June (50 days after Easter) | Readers, Prayers of the Faithful, Hymn Leaders/Choir, Altar Servers, Offertory Procession |
| St Peter and St Paul Mass | 29th June (or nearest school day) | Readers, Prayers of the Faithful, Hymn Leaders/Choir, Altar Servers, Offertory Procession |
| Leavers’ Mass | Late June / July | Readers, Prayers of the Faithful, Hymn Leaders/Choir, Altar Servers, Offertory Procession |
How Children Participate in Leading Mass
Readers (Liturgy of the Word): children proclaim the First Reading and/or Second Reading clearly and reverently, helping the community listen to God’s Word.
Prayers of the Faithful (Bidding Prayers): children write and lead intercessions for the Church, the world, those in need, and our local community, helping them grow in compassion and mission.
Choir: children support worship by leading sung prayer, encouraging full, active, and joyful participation.
Altar Servers: children assist fr Liam, Fr Vuni or Fr Elvis in a respectful and prayerful way, helping the liturgy to be celebrated with dignity and reverence.
Offertory Procession: pupils bring forward the bread and wine, sometimes alongside symbolic items linked to the theme of the Mass, representing the offering of ourselves and our lives to God.
Non Child-led Morning Mass (Weekly Class Rota)
As part of St Edmund Campion's commitment to the prayerful and liturgical life of the Church, classes attend Morning Mass with the parish congregation on a weekly rota. This is a single class attending each week, rather than a whole-school Mass, enabling children to experience the Mass in a different way.
These Masses are not child-led liturgies. The children do not lead any parts of the Mass, as Fr Liam and parish community celebrate the liturgy in the usual way. Instead, children are supported to develop active participation through reverence, prayer and attentive listening, in keeping with the Church’s understanding of participation in the Sacred Liturgy.
Why this matters
Attending Morning Mass regularly helps children to:
encounter Christ in the Eucharist, deepening their relationship with God through the Church’s prayer and worship
grow in active participation by:
praying the responses of the Mass
listening carefully to the Liturgy of the Word
joining in hymns and acclamations
observing reverent posture and actions (standing, sitting, kneeling)
making a spiritual communion when they are not receiving Holy Communion
strengthen their understanding of Catholic worship and tradition
develop a sense of belonging to the parish family, worshipping alongside the regular Morning Mass congregation and recognising the Church as a living community of faith
learn through example as they witness the prayerful witness of others and the rhythm of parish worship
Building community and faith
By being present at Morning Mass with the parish community, our children come to understand that school prayer and worship is part of the wider life of the Church. This shared experience supports the children’s spiritual formation, strengthens links between home, school and parish, and helps children recognise the importance of regular Sunday and weekday worship as part of Catholic life.
Through this weekly rota, pupils are invited to pray, reflect and participate with the Church, growing in faith and in their understanding of the Mass as a sacred encounter with God and a celebration of the community gathered in Christ.