Parish Links
We are enormously grateful for the faithful support of the clergy and parishioners of St Edmund Campion, whose partnership with our school enriches every aspect of our Catholic life and mission.
Our children attend Mass on a weekly rota, which helps them to build strong relationships with the kind and generous parish community as we pray together, respond to the Word of God and offer prayers inspired both by the readings of the day and by our learning across the curriculum.
Parishioners regularly join us for Nativity performances, class assemblies and our many choir concerts in church, and our Year 6 children especially enjoy serving mince pies and refreshments after our seven Nativity performances each December - an important opportunity to show welcome, gratitude and service.
Our children also volunteer to read at Mass, including for Education Sunday and during CAFOD appeals each Harvest and Lent, while our Chaplaincy Team and Mrs Camp-Overy prepare the Prayers of the Faithful each February for Sunday Mass.
We are deeply thankful for the generous support of our parish St Vincent de Paul and Catenians groups, who help us to care for our most vulnerable families, as well as the wider parish community who respond so readily to the needs of our children - for example, supporting our School Council’s request to develop our prayer area and funding additional resources through joint fundraising events.
This year, thanks to parishioner support, we have been able to participate once again in the Diocesan Schools Singing Programme with Portsmouth’s choral director Neil Cannon, strengthening our children’s confidence and ability to lead worship with joy and reverence.
We are especially grateful for the strong and supportive partnership between Fr Liam and the school as we work closely together to nurture a vibrant Catholic community; Fr Liam has provided ongoing staff formation in RE, Prayer and Liturgy, and has also trained the school’s Chaplaincy Team to undertake their important roles with confidence and reverence when leading prayer.
We warmly welcome, this term, Fr Elvis and Fr Vuni to our St Edmund Campion community. They have already supported our children with the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Advent and with our Epiphany Mass this January, and we look forward to continuing these close parish links so that our pupils keep growing in faith, confidence and love for our Church community, Holy Family Parish and Portsmouth Diocese.
Many members of our school community are active members of the parish community, and we are proud of the way staff and families give so generously of their time and talents: Mrs Camp-Overy and Mrs Greenwood are First Holy Communion catechists, Mrs Camp-Overy also serves on the Parish Council, and Mr Brutnall and Mrs Curran are Confirmation catechists. Many members of staff and governors also lead Children’s Liturgy, serve as readers and support the parish as Eucharistic Ministers.
We have been especially delighted to see a number of staff members and school families choose to become Catholic after being inspired by Scripture and by the warmth, welcome and active faith of the St Edmund Campion school and church community.
We are truly blessed to be part of such a caring and prayerful parish, and we thank our parishioners for their constant prayers and encouragement for the children, parents and staff of St Edmund Campion.