Mrs David's Catholic Life Page 2026/2027
Welcome to our Whole School Catholic Life page for 2026/2027 – Mrs David’s opportunity to share aspects of faith formation and OLOL experiences that have an impact on a child’s perception of what Catholic Life is all about. At OLOL, we ensure that Catholic Life infuses every aspect of our school day so that our work, our prayer, our curriculum and policies, our play is all rooted in personal faith development, and our school, parish and the wider life of the Church is greatly enhanced as a result. Our engagement with Catholic Life prepares us to be globally aware Catholics with moral and ethical understanding to serve God.
It would be impossible to share everything we do at OLOL but these pages should be a sample of the Catholic Life we live daily. Please take a look at our Twitter/X feed (@ourladyoflourd1), Class Catholic Life pages and other pages in this section of the website, as they are filled with more active faith at OLOL.
Oscar Romero Award – Participator Level
We are very happy to announce that we have been successful in our application for the first stage of the Oscar Romero Award. In the words of St Oscar Romero himself, as a school community we “Aspire not to have more, but to be more” and we do this through many activities but especially through our action driven response to the faith. How we are aware of and supportive of Catholic Social Teaching. If we are to be the people who give a voice to the voiceless, what St Oscar Romero called “God’s microphone”, then we must put our faith to great works – small works and big works but all for the greater glory of God and the betterment of our global family. One of the consistently special things about this school family, is its generosity and care for others in need and through action for creation, charitable outreach, education about Catholic Social Teaching or policy in school that reflects the faith and our mission - we are a school that demonstrates our faith commitment every day. We will continue to work on this award through its next two stages.
Feast of St Carlo Acutis - 12th October 202
St Carlo Acutis was canonised earlier last September and on this day we celebrate his first Feast Day as a Saint. St Carlo has become inspiration for some pupils when choosing their Confirmation Saint name. His love of God and the Eucharist are a fabulous example to us all but especially to those who are young and can see how he lived a faith filled life, even such a short life, where he put God above all things and used technology to bring this love to the world. He prayed the Rosary often and had a deep love for the Virgin Mary. St Carlo told us “The Eucharist is the highway to heaven,” . ST Carlo Acutis is the patron Saint of the internet, people who programme computers and young people. Staff and Governors who went on pilgrimage to Assisi earlier this year were privileged to see the place where St Carlo now rests, and we shared rosary together in the garden beside the church where he can be visited. A wonderful memory...
Feast of St John Henry Newman - 9th October 2026
St John Henry Newman was born in London in 1801 and died in Birmingham in 1890. John Henry was the oldest of six children. He grew up with two brothers and three sisters and good parents. He learned a lot from his parents, and from one grandmother and aunt. He was a kind older brother to his siblings, helping them in their school work and making sure they were ok. He loved reading he loved the outdoors and was a really hardworking student. As a grown up, he became an Anglican priest but, St John Henry Newman searched for the truth and this made him leave his Anglican faith and convert to Catholicism. As a Catholic leader he established a University in Dublin. As a Cardinal he was based at Birmingham Oratory. His feast day is not celebrated on the anniversary of his death but on the day he became a Catholic. On 1st November 2025, Pope Leo announced that St John Henry Newman was now a Doctor of the Church - this is a very great honour.
Our Lady of the Rosary - 7th October 2026
Pope Leo XIII wrote “It has always been the habit of Catholics in danger and in troublous times to fly for refuge to Mary.” The Rosary provides us with a great weapon to use against evil and in this month of October when the devotion to the Holy Rosary is at its most active, we think about why the Rosary is so important and how it came to be. The use of Rosary grew over a long period of time but it was made especially popular by St Dominic. St. Dominic, the founder of the Dominican Order, had a vision of Mary, who told him about the Rosary (and even showed him a pair of rosary beads). Dominic made it his mission to spread the Rosary wherever he went. Over time, the intercession of Our Lady was requested through the Rosary in many wars and battles. On more recent times, Our Lady appeared to 3 shepherd children in Fatima, giving them many messages. She told them to pray the Rosary every day for peace. She invited them to add on a short prayer to every decade: “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and bring all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.” This Fatima Prayer then became part of the Rosary. At OLOL, every child has access to Rosary Beads and time to pray this most powerful prayer. We celebrated this special feast today at Mass led by our Year 4 children.
Feast of St Francis of Assisi - 4th October 2026
The Season of Creation ends on Sunday this week, with the Feast of this wonderful Saint, Francis of Assisi who dedicated his life to a deep knowledge and care for creation. He was the founder of the Franciscan order and is the patron Saint of ecology and animals. St Francis came from a very wealthy family but he gave away everything he owned to be better able to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, once he received God’s call. St Francis is the Class Saint of Year 1 and in their recent retreat they spent time thinking about creation, stewardship and St Francis. As a school committed to active participation in Catholic Social Teaching, his example is one that we try to follow every day in school. The Jubilee of St Francis continues until January 2027...
Guild of St Stephen Annual Mass at St Chad’s Cathedral - October 2026
Well done to OLOL pupils who attended this very special gathering of altar servers today at St Chad’s Cathedral. It is a very special gift of service that these children offer to our school and parish. Faithful service carried out with diligence, generosity of time and utter reverence for their role and responsibilities. This thanksgiving Mass is a great way for those who choose to build a relationship with God and their emerging vocations in this way. We are so proud of their commitment. Thank you children for your service. Here is O with Bishop Tim - a super memory of the day!
Black History Month - A Faith Perspective - October 2026
This month, we think about Black History. The people who changed the world, the experiences of black people in the world, and how it has shaped culture. At OLOL, we also think about Catholic people of colour who have had an impact on our faith and formation. Let's think about some important Catholic figures:
St Josephine Bakhita - the first female black Saint
St Martin de Porres - He is the patron saint of Black people, mixed-race people, barbers, innkeepers, public health workers, all those seeking racial harmony, and animals
St Charles Lwanga - Martyr from Uganda
St Augustine of Hippo - North African Bishop and important writer of Christian Theology
St Benedict of Palermo - African Friar whose parents were freed slaves, the first black saint of modern times
CAFOD Family Fast Day - October 2026
Our school family were inspired after liturgy led by the CAFOD Club to bring small amounts of money into school to support the work of CAFOD to provide clean water for communities. Thank you to families who donated in school or in church for this valuable fundraising effort. School raised £100 from pupil donations.
One Life Music - Autumn Life Streaming October 2026
We love having sessions with Dan and Emily and today we got to take part in a fantastic Autumn Livestream as a school, celebrating the Month of the Holy Rosary. We also celebrated autumn, shared some beautiful hymns...
Memorial of the Guardian Angels - 2nd October 2026
Today we celebrate our Guardian Angels, those sent by God to watch over us and intercede for us from the moment we are born until the moment we die. They watch us grow up, they walk beside us at our first day at school, they stay close when we have a bad day, they give us distance when we need to solve problems by ourselves, they support us in prayer and then when the end comes, they take us back to God. In Jesus' life he found strength from angels, and in scripture we read often about the intercession of these messengers and defenders from God. It is important to remember they are with us and allow them to help us make good choices in our lives. Try to say this prayer to our Guardian Angels...
Angel of God, my guardian dear,
to whom God’s love commits me here,
ever this day be at my side,
to light and guard, to rule and guide.
Amen.
Confirmation Preparation Meeting - October 2026
Our Year 6 children, their families and their sponsors joined us this evening to reflect on the final stages of the children's faith journey towards the Sacrament of Confirmation…a journey of faith that gathers pace once the gifts are bestowed upon us and we embark on this amazing new life full of courage, wisdom, understanding of the truth of Christ and become true witnesses to His Word in our actions, thoughts and words. The children presented their projects last week, research to find the Saint who speaks to their hearts and inspires them in their growth. The work has been very impressive and is now available in church to be viewed by families. In their Service of Commitment during the meeting, the children, parents and staff talked of the bright light of faith, exemplified by the Saints and how it will shine, highlighting the active use of the gifts and expression of the fruits, and how our service to others is an integral part of our growing Christian actions. The commitment shown by the children in their preparation has been positive, and as they prepare spiritually through Mass and Prayer over these coming weeks, let us also remember them and their journey of faith from children to young adults in the Church, in our own prayer's.
Month of the Holy Rosary - October 2026
During October, the staff and children pledge to say the Rosary everyday, following the guidance from Pope Leo, “I invite everyone, each day of the coming month, to pray the Rosary for peace; personally, in the family, and in community.” We hope you and your family will join us in this powerful prayer each day...
St Therese of Lisieux - 1st October 2026
We attended Mass this morning on the Feast of St Therese of Lisieux (also called St Therese of the Child Jesus). Our Mass was about Guardian Angels (which we actually celebrate tomorrow but we had to swap a Mass time this week). St Therese is interesting as she has 2 Saints as parents, Ss Louis and Zelie Martin. When Therese was a child, she was not always very nice or well behaved - she was a bit spoilt. She became very sad when her mother died and it took her until she was 13 to find joy - she called it her Christmas miracle. She had always been interested in becoming a nun and when she was 13 this became a very intense wish. When she was 14 she tried to enter a Carmelite order and was refused and she went to Rome with her Father to ask Pope Leo XIII for permission - he told her to go, and if God willed it she would be able to enter the Carmelite Order and she finally joined when she was 15 years old. She had a reputation as a good, reliable and joyful nun. St Therese died when she was only 24 years old. St Therese is most known for her “Little Way.” She spoke not of doing great things, but of small things with great love. At OLOL, we celebrate Little Way Week annually in October...
Meet our CAFOD Club 2026
This year, we are continuing to grow our pupil voice groups for Catholic Life - CAFOD Club. Mrs Dobbins is looking after this group and helping them to really put Catholic Social Teaching in action in our school family, linked to the work of CAFOD. The aim is that, as the CAFOD Club prayer says, we will work, “to build a brighter world where everyone is welcome, everyone has what they need, and no one is left behind."
Feast of St Jerome - 30th September 2026
St Jerome is a great Saint, for those of us who work in education and for those who study, to seek inspiration from. He is the patron saint of librarians and translators. St Jerome was a master of classical languages and was responsible for the first translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew and Greek into Latin (the Vulgate) that we still use today, after Pope Damasus I asked him to. This task took him most of his life to accomplish. He wrote many other books and commentaries. St Jerome was made a Doctor of the Church in a special honour given to those saints whose writings have had long term impact on our faith. St Jerome loved to learn, and when we find learning hard we can ask for his intercession to get us back on track! One of his famous quotes is "Ignorance of scripture, is ignorance of Christ." Do you know why pictures of St Jerome often show him with a lion? Try to find out...
Meet our Mini Vinnies 2026
Our Mini Vinnie Team have already started to plan their campaigns and liturgy support for the year with Mrs Anthony. We look forward to regular newsletter updates about their good works as they embed Catholic Social Teaching even further at OLOL...
RE Displays at OLOL - Ordinary Time in Autumn Term
This term we have started our new RE Curriculum and the boards and our RE boards are now celebrating RE learning with a new lens - our focus branch for this half term. You will note that our boards are green to reflect the season of Ordinary time, and their content and supporting vocabulary reflects our work on Creation and Covenant. Here are some photos so you can see the lovely environment your children have for their RE development.
Our Catholic Social Teaching (CST) Displays
At the start of this school year we looked again at the Catholic Social Teaching principles to revise and refresh our understanding of what they mean and how we can live our faith filled actions. We decided to review some of the Saints who exemplify these principles through their lives and Mission. Each class created a lovely art display that we would like to share with you…
St Michael, St Gabriel & St Raphael - 29th Sept 2026
Today is Michaelmas! What is that? some youngsters among us will ask...Pupils in Year 5 will be wearing their own clothes one day this week to celebrate the Feast of Ss Michael (their class saint), Gabriel and Raphael, the Archangels and also traditionally Michaelmas, a day to celebrate the harvest and the end of the long days and get ready for the dark season to come in winter. St Michael is considered the greatest of all angels, especially honoured for his defeat of the devil in the war in heaven. Because of that, he is known as Guardian of the Catholic Church. St Gabriel is the patron of messengers as he delivered the announcement that would change Mary's life when he told her that she had been chosen to bear the Son of God. Not only that, but he also brought the good news of John the Baptist to Zechariah and Elizabeth as well. St Raphael is less known, but no less important as the patron of travellers and healing (He was known as the Divine Healer). Pope Francis said:
“We celebrate three of these Archangels because they played an important role in the history of salvation and also because they play an important role in our journey towards salvation,” the pope said. “Michael defends us, Gabriel gives us the good news, and Raphael takes us by the hand and walks with us; he helps us with the many things that occur along the journey.”
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
Season of Creation Daily Prayer - 28th September 2026
We are entering the final week of the Season of Creation and this means the final week of sharing daily prayer with Dan and Emily (One Life Music) - Today we thank God again for the wonderful gift of Creation and ask Him to show us how we can live in peace with every other living creature...This weekend we will celebrate the Feast of St Francis of Assisi and this will close this special time of prayer and reflection for Creation and Stewardship.
CAFOD National Assembly - 28th September 2026
Today, the school community joined in with the CAFOD National Assembly on the theme of the Season of Creation. The assembly gave us really important reminders about our responsibilities and how the work of CAFOD fit into that global mission. It was a timely reminder of the Catholic Social Teaching Principles that guide our living Christian faith and actions. All of us must be the change we need for our world to be as God wants it to be, to be the stewards of creation we must be, to be Pilgrims of Hope even when the challenges are great, to work in togetherness "hand in hand" to build a better world... to follow Jesus by helping to build his Kingdom here on earth.
At OLOL, we are active supporters of the work of CAFOD and again this year we will raise money and take an active interest in those shared aims so that every community thrives and can reach the potential intended by our creator. We were reminded that we need to build a brighter world so that everyone may live their life to the fullest - what an aspiration! I hope that the children of OLOL are part of the global attempts to build a better, safer world with creation protected for all future generations. What will we do this year OLOL to be part of the positive change the world needs? OLOL Parents, you can watch the assembly below with your child and discuss the key themes at home.
St Vincent de Paul - 27th September 2026
I read a really interesting article last year about the significance about the week ahead in liturgical terms - the author called it a week of "heavy hitters" in the middle of this chunk of ordinary time. The week starting with St Vincent de Paul on Sunday, followed swiftly by Ss Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel the Archangels, St Jerome, St Therese of Lisieux, the Guardian Angels and then St Francis of Assisi. A serious amount of powerful Saintly example
As a school that runs a Mini Vinnie group, we are very tuned in to the life and Mission of St Vincent de Paul - trying in all things to emulate his goodness towards the vulnerable in society. St Vincent was a French priest, a very clever one, who actually became a priest when he was 19 because he was so studious. He enjoyed a comfortable life but as he learned more about the experiences of the poor in his community he changed his own lifestyle and work to ensure he did everything he could to support those in need. Following his death many groups set up charitable works in his name, and these "Vincentian" groups are in existence all over the world (SVP, Young Vincentian's, Mini Vinnies in the UK alone). Happy feast for the children who are in St Vincent de Paul House!
St Vincent de Paul is often used as an example of Catholic Social Teaching in action linked to solidarity, dignity, options for the poor etc.
St. Vincent, patron of all charitable associations and father of those who are in misery, come to our assistance.
Obtain from Our Lord, help for the poor, relief for the infirm, consolation for the afflicted, protection for the abandoned, a spirit of generosity for the rich, grace of conversion for sinners, zeal for priests, peace for the Church, tranquillity and order for all nations, and salvation for them all.
May we be united in the life to come, by your intercession, and experience joy, gladness, and everlasting happiness. Amen. St Vincent de Paul, Pray for Us
Mrs D RE Challenges 2026 - September
Each month, I invite children to explore their faith through art by taking part in a Mrs D RE Challenge. The challenge for September was to celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross by designing a cross that means something to them. As always the children's designs are delightful and have allowed them to express a variety of interpretations. Children who take part always get an RE themed treat for their efforts... This month - the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael
RE Superstars at OLOL
Each week, Mrs Larkin askes teachers to send the children who are working their hardest in RE to share work with her. This is such a lovely opportunity to celebrate great and faith filled learning, and for us to be able to show our school family how important RE is in our busy curriculum schedule. I will try to post the superstars here each week!
Macmillan Coffee Morning - September 2026
Thank you to the parents who donated so many lovely cakes to our Macmillan fundraising Coffee Morning today. Cancer is something that comes close to all of us at OLOL in one way or another whether it be it friends or relatives who have fallen ill with this disease, and to be able to support this charity in a small way is a wonderful thing for the school family to do. Your efforts raised almost £600 - quite an achievement in our small community of faith!
Our Lady of Walsingham - 24th September 2026
The wonderful shrine to Our Lady is a focal point of Marian prayer and pilgrimage in the UK (alongside our very local centre of pilgrimage to Our Lady of Lourdes at Hednesford). A site of pilgrimage since 1061, it was created by a woman with great faith to honour Our Lady. It has had a very rocky history during the reformation when the site was destroyed and Catholic generally had to hide their faith and worship in new creative ways to avoid the persecution that came with our belief and liturgical practises. For 300 years pilgrimage stopped at Walsingham, until the 19th Century when Catholics were allowed again to bear public and open witness to the faith. The Holy Father bestowed Minor Basilica status on Walsingham in 2015, a special recognition also held by our own Mother Church St Chad’s.
The staff enjoyed a wonderful pilgrimage to Walsingham as part of our Jubilee Year celebrations, last year, and today in hymn practise we learned a new hymn to celebrate her.
O Mary, recall the solemn moment when Jesus, your divine son, dying on the cross, confided us to your maternal care. You are our mother, we desire ever to remain your devout children. let us therefore feel the effects of your powerful intercession with Jesus Christ. make your name again glorious in the shrine once renowned throughout England by your visits, favours, and many miracles. Pray, O holy mother of God, for the conversion of England, restoration of the sick, consolation for the afflicted, repentance of sinners, peace to the departed.
O blessed Mary, mother of God, our Lady of Walsingham, intercede for us. Amen.
St Pio of Pietrelcina - 23rd September 2026
Padre Pio is one of the Saints of healing and today we celebrate his feast. He was a Capuchin Friar and then Priest who saw a vision of someone with Christs crucifixion wounds, and then shortly afterwards he received the stigmata himself. These 5 wounds are very rare but Padre Pio was in esteemed company as St Francis of Assisi and St Catherine of Siena also received the stigmata. Padre Pio was a very holy and humble man and tried very hard to keep his stigmata a secret but eventually people got to hear about him. God's power worked through Padre Pio to heal hundreds of people with many illnesses. St John Paul II Pope made him a Saint in 2002. Padre Pio said: "Pray, hope and don't worry. Worry is useless. Our Merciful Lord will listen to your prayer."
Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist - 21st Sept 2026
On 21st September, we remember the life and work of the apostle St Matthew. Jesus made a clear choice when he picked St Matthew, a tax collector, hated by the Jewish community for applying the Roman financial regulations. A choice Jesus made often in his life of reaching out to the marginalised and disenfranchised in society. St Matthew answered Jesus’ call immediately and without doubt…
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Matthew 9:12–13).
From these negative beginnings Matthew became a strong follower of Christ, one of the 12, and had an active life preaching the Word in the land where he lived and prayed with Christ. His Gospel has become part of the historical record of the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus, written in the language of the Jews (and Jesus) to assist in conversion to Christianity. We thank St Matthew for his obedience and giving us the Word to guide us. Little wonder that St Matthew is the patron saint of bankers, accountants and tax collectors! Why is there an ox in the image?
Evangelii Gaudium Sunday - 2oth September 2026
The third Sunday in September is always dedicated to the Holy Father’s encyclical, Evangelii Gaudium, the “Joy of the Gospel”, (also known as Home Mission Sunday) in which he asked us all to be mindful of the need for evangelisation and missionary discipleship in our ever changing world. We are asked to find and share the joy in the words contained within the Gospels. This year, Pope Leo's theme is "Hearts on fire, feet on the move" - directly inspired by the recount in Luke Chapter 24 of the encounter on the Road to Emmaus. We are to be moved to action by encounter. On Evangelii Gaudium Sunday, we are invited not only to say these ancient words at Mass, to profess our faith, but also to build our lives upon them—living and sharing the faith with conviction and joy.
Pope Leo said, “Just as the two disciples of Emmaus told the others what had taken place along the way, so too our proclamation will be a joyful telling of Christ the Lord, his life, his passion, his death and resurrection, and the wonders that his love has accomplished in our lives. So let us set out once more, illumined by our encounter with the risen Lord and prompted by his Spirit. Let us set out again with burning hearts, with our eyes open and our feet in motion. Let us set out to make other hearts burn with the word of God, to open the eyes of others to Jesus in the Eucharist, and to invite everyone to walk together on the path of peace and salvation that God, in Christ, has bestowed upon all humanity.”
Jesuit Virtues Compassionate & Loving: Autumn 1 2026
This half term our focus Jesuit Virtues are compassionate & loving, and we have started to think about what it looks like to demonstrate these virtues in our lives at home and school. We aim to always be following the example of Christ and the Saints who have come before us. What are the characteristics of compassion and showing love for self and others? What does it look like if we live in this way?
To be compassionate is to experience suffering or change alongside someone else – to listen to their cares and concerns and to share their joys and sorrows, to see the world through their eyes, to step into their shoes, to empathize. Getting children to stop and notice how others are experiencing their lives, how they feel, and why they say and believe what they do, is an important aspect of parenting and teaching. Ultimately, it is what makes us kind and, at a deeper level, opens up the possibility of being loving through our just and merciful actions and forgiving words. Jesus’ great commandment is “Love one another.” (John 13:34) The more we love others, the more we are truly human and most truly ourselves
What will OLOL do this half term to show we are Compassionate and Loving and how will we link this to our practical Catholic Social Teaching aims?
We are always aware of St Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, the motto of the Jesuits, and how this motto really sums up why we do what we do at OLOL, for the greater glory of God!
Class Blessings 2026
We were visited by Deacon Tim to bless our classrooms and shared spaces. In this annual blessing, Deacon Tim calls on our Father in heaven to come among us and protect us, inspire us and work through us as we live, love and learn together. We asked for God’s continued gifts to help us become the people He intends us to be. We ask for God’s blessing on our hearts and minds so that we are filled with all of the skills and attitudes to have another successful year at OLOL.
Lord God, we welcome you to this place and ask you to fill it with your glory. You are our Good Shepherd. We ask your blessings on our work, our play and our reflective time.
Lord Jesus, bless all who work here. Open their minds and hearts to receive the Gospel, and fill their hearts with your Holy Spirit.
Divine Teacher, bless our teachers with wisdom and patience. We thank you for their knowledge and care for us.
Heavenly Father, we dedicate our prayer table to you. Inspire us to pray always.
Loving God, bless all of our books and study materials. May they be a source of light for our minds and hearts.
We ask your blessings on our studies. We pray through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen
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In Memoriam: Junior Bubala - 17th September 2026
On 17th September we will remember the 6th anniversary of the death of Junior. Many of our current staff remember this young man with great affection and our school community continues to mourn his tragic loss at such a young age. He was part of our OLOL family and we continue to honour his memory through prayer. We keep in our thoughts also Junior’s family including his sister who also attended OLOL. Mass will be said for Junior on 15th September at OLOL Church. Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen. “The more we are afflicted in this world, the greater is our assurance in the next; the more sorrow in the present, the greater will be our joy in the future.” St. Isidore of Seville
OLOL Prayer Bags - Sharing Pupil Led Liturgy at Home
Each week, we send home a themed OLOL Prayer Bag with children in each class so that they can develop their child led prayer skills at home with their families, sharing with them a beautiful expression of their growing faith and religious knowledge understanding. As ever, it has been lovely to see the children share this with their class mates and with a much wider audience on our X account. Each week that children share their liturgy, I will share some photos here - a real strength of our school community is their love of prayer and liturgy and their joy in sharing this with others…
Our Lady of Sorrows - 15th September 2026
How do you feel when you look at the imagery of Our Lady of Sorrows, whose Memorial is celebrated today. Paintings of her show her grief stricken face as she shares with us the agony of 7 blades in her heart. What do these blades represent? Our Lady reminds us of her great sufferings as the Mother of Christ, each blade in her heart marking a key event in the life of Jesus starting with the very prophecy Simeon made foretelling that the sword of sorrow would pierce her soul. These 7 sorrows of Our Lady are:
- The prophecy of Simeon
- The flight into Egypt
- Loss of the Child Jesus for three days
- Mary meets Jesus on his way to Calvary
- Crucifixion and Death of Jesus
- The body of Jesus being taken from the Cross
- The burial of Jesus
Spend some time imagining what these events must have felt like for Mary - read the scripture and then do some reflection about suffering, sorrow, sadness...Think about different types of suffering...Which sorrow would have affected Mary the most, and why? This is a good day to think about the sorrow that we have experienced and to find compassion and empathy, alongside some inevitable sadness that sometimes marks the beginning of sorrow. Are you able to celebrate this feast day by giving comfort to someone experiencing sorrow?
Our mother of sorrows, with strength from above you stood by the cross, sharing in the sufferings of Jesus, and with tender care you bore Him in your arms, mourning and weeping. We praise you for your faith, which accepted the life God planned for you. We praise you for your hope, which trusted that God would do great things in you. We praise you for your love in bearing with Jesus the sorrows of His passion. Holy Mary, may we follow your example, and stand by all your children who need comfort and love.
Mother of God, stand by us in our trials and care for us in our many needs. Pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen
Happy Birthday Pope Leo - 14th September 2026
This Monday we celebrate Pope Leo's 71st birthday! He has had a very busy year leading our Church. Let's hope there are family, cake, good friends and a very happy day for our wonderful Holy Father.
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross - 14th September 2026
I wonder can OLOL think about the meaning of the cross/ crucifix on this date. The cross had an early history very closely linked to the death of criminals who would be placed on crosses at city walls or outside the towns and they were a negative things to see during the Roman period - this was the Roman preferred method of execution. On this date though we think about how the cross became an image of salvation and lost those negative feelings. St Helena's finding of the cross on which Jesus died in the 4th Century, in Jerusalem during the building of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. We wear and display a cross or crucifix as a sign of our Christian faith and we remember the many early martyrs who came to their death by the cross. Can you find out which Saints died by crucifixion?
Education Sunday - 13th September 2026
This weekend we will celebrate one of the oldest and most important special Masses of the Church’s year – Education Sunday. On this day we think about the purpose and mission of Catholic education, the enlightenment and excellence that comes from the learning journey that children and young people experience when they attend our schools, colleges and universities. We remember that Christ is at the centre of our school (and all Catholic schools) and we aspire to be the place where all children grow into the people that God wants them to be. This Mass has been happening annually since 1848 and so we hope that OLOL pupils and their families will make a special effort this weekend to attend Mass and give thanks for the vocation and service of staff and leaders in Catholic places of education for the faith formation and academic excellence that is developed and nurtured. It is tradition to wear uniform to this Mass as an outward sign of the pride we have in our school community. Let us remember the words of Pope Francis, who said:
"The mission of schools and teachers is to develop an understanding of all that is true, good and beautiful."
Most Holy Name of Mary - 12th September 2026
Today is the Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary, a special day of reflection, pray and devotion to Our Lady and to consider the sacredness of her name and many titles, and her unending love for Jesus. It is hoped on such a day that we think about how to be inspired by and to act like Mary and to consider her many sacrifices in accepting that her son would die in order to fulfil his Mission. This Memorial has been a long tradition in the Church. Only Mary and Jesus have dedicated liturgical days to celebrate the time of their naming. Mary and the other versions of it such as Mariam, Miriam etc. is a very popular name to this day, almost always inspired by Our Lady when it is chosen.
When we pray the Litany of the Holy Name of Mary, we are reminded so clearly of many of the titles which honour her for being the mother of Jesus, mother of the Church and our mother...why not research some of the many titles for Mary and see how some of them came about. We will be at Mass today on this special feast...
Blessed be the Holy Name of Mary, now and forever...
Take time today to thank Our Lady for her constant intercession and prayers for us and our needs, for her unwavering faith, and her example of love.
St Peter Claver - 9th September 2025
Today we celebrate the life and mission of St Peter Claver. He was a Jesuit priest and the children will learn about him when they discover more about Catholic Social Teaching, especially human dignity, preferential options for the poor, solidarity and the common good. Living in the 17th Century, St Peter Claver dedicated his life to serving slaves, baptising more than 300000 during his mission in Columbia (a span of over 40 years). He would go to slave ships as they arrived with clothing, food and drink, medical supplies and cared for those who were sick or dying after the terrible journey to Columbia. He called himself the "slave of the slaves" and spent a long time trying to re-educate slave owners. St Peter Claver reminds us, through his words and work, what God expects from us to support the marginalised and the vulnerable.
St Peter Claver said "Seek God in all things and you shall find God by your side
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - 8th Sept 2026
Today we celebrate the birth of Mary. This is a very old Marian Feast. Our Lady, in her humility, love and trust in God, represents the culmination of God's plan and the ultimate expression of His love, that came when Jesus was born. Her birth was the fulfilment of a promise to St Anne and St Joachim that they would bear a child, and how they must have celebrated this miracle pregnancy and eventual birth of Mary, free from sin because of her Immaculate Conception. It is important today, and everyday to take joy in her birth and the gift she gave to the world by being the Mother of God. Mary is the example for us to live by if we are to be truly Christian. Happy Birthday!
Open Sessions at Bishop Challoner
Year 6 parents will have received an email from us about a meeting at OLOL to meet staff from Bishop Challoner on 16th Sept at 6.00 pm. It is very important that parents reflect on the future educational choices for their children and in as many cases as possible, we hope that you will decide to provide an ongoing Catholic Secondary Education for your child. The spiritual, emotional, pastoral and moral development that comes as natural elements of such an education will enable your child to reach their God given potential in a nurturing way that also drives for high standards. We hope that all of our OLOL children will apply for spaces at Catholic Secondary schools...to continue their faith and learning journey in the way they have started with us at OLOL.
House Team Activities - September 2026
Each half term, one of our House Teams meet to put Catholic Social Teaching into action, and through prayer, discussion and fundraising action they solve some of the problems that ail the world on a very local and doable level. We love these meetings because the children will group vertically, so that Years R - 6 are all in their teams, working together with some excellent role modelling taking place. Filled with the spirit and guided by their House Saint, to take actions inspired for good - the children set targets that they will review at subsequent meetings. This half term, St Oscar Romero House will help us to Care for Creation - Stewardship...
Our First Whole School Liturgy Sept 2026
Today we gathered to share prayer, scripture, and to reflect on being back together for another school year. We talked about how we can proactively be part of God's plan for us all in our prayer life, with hard work, those good choices and following the example of the Saints that came before us. We reminded ourselves that we are unique beings, made in His image and likeness and with that comes certain truths. God does not make mistakes so who we are is exactly who God intended us to be (and this means we are perfect as we are!). We talked about how cruelty, name calling, taunting is disrespectful to God’s creation and we must celebrate difference and immerse ourselves in this community of faith. We talked about our talents and how we must nurture and develop the gifts that God has given us, so that we can reach our potential, our hopes and dreams and fulfil God’s plan. WE talked about the importance of being responsible and owning who we are, any mistakes we make, any unkindness committed and to work together to be the best versions of ourself. We will keep reminding our OLOL family that God loves us in our uniqueness and our entirety even when we do not love Him as we should, and we forget to love ourselves…Our school is full of children with amazing aspirations and for those who haven't started thinking to grown up futures, we decided that it is ok to not be sure what God's plan for us is...until we are ready but that we can build skills, knowledge, wisdom while we wait and grow in understanding. New beginnings, new goals, new challenges and a school ready to do God's work! It is so wonderful to have the school family back together and we p[ray that we will serve God faithfully and with our whole hearts, in all we do this year.
We are Open for Creation - One Life Music
OLOL continues to purchase wonderful liturgy resources from One Life Music to enhance and support our own planned prayer and liturgy. This month we are using their Open for Creation daily prayer resources. Through prayer and action we will do our little things for creation every day, hoping to be the agents of change that the world needs to protect God's Creation.
St Teresa of Calcutta - 5th Sept 2025
Today, children in St Teresa of Calcutta’s House Team remember the life of their House Patron Saint with an own clothes day. She started her vocational life with missionary work, and then with the Sisters of Loreto taking her final vows in 1931 and becoming a teacher in the Loreto community in Calcutta. Her special calling to work in the service of the poorest people came as she saw the hardship of the community she lived and worked in. She worked tirelessly to support the ill, disenfranchised and neglected men and women in Calcutta and over time founded the Missionaries of Charity. Mother Teresa, as she had become known, sent her sisters to all parts of the world to serve the poorest communities with love and dignity. She died on 5th September 1997 after a life filled with faith, hope, love, charity and unwavering compassion for those unable to help themselves. St Teresa of Calcutta’s House Team strive to know about her active faith and to use her as a role model for their response to social justice.
What can we do every day to be like this Saint and to show compassion, care, love, healing and service to those in need?
“Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren you did it to me.” (Mt 25:35-40)
Mission Week 2026 at OLOL…
We like to start our school year revisiting our Mission and giving it meaning and relevance for each member of our community as we start our journey of faith and learning together for another school year. “Christ at the centre of our school community, where we live, love and learn together” is the glue that holds Our Lady of Lourdes together. It is the start point for all of our school aspirations and the children take part in lost of fun and meaningful activities in this week to develop a real understanding of how our faith must become lived behaviour and attitudes, what it means to be the community of OLOL and to guide our choices. Ask your child what work they have completed in RE…
St Gregory the Great, Pope - 3rd Sept 2026
Today we remember St Gregory who was alive at the time of the Roman Empire (540-604 AD) and who led our Church in the first great missionary drive to convert the Anglo-Saxons in England to Christianity. He spent his whole papacy bringing the Word to others either himself in person and in his writings, or by sending other missionaries out to bring the faith to those with no faith or those who believed in idols or false gods. St Gregory is buried in St Peter's Basilica in Rome. He is the patron Saint of musicians, singers, students, and teachers.
The Season of Creation 2026
The Season of Creation has begun (1st Sept – 4th Oct) and is a special time when we think about stewardship and our obligations to develop our relationship with the creator, to protect and care for creation, gifted to us by our heavenly Father to be our home and to be safely handed over to successive generations. Each year there is a theme for the celebration of this season, and this year the focus for over 2 billion Christians is "Living Water".
As a school we will think about what this justice and peace looks like in relation to climate and ecological awareness and action, alongside consideration for those communities affected by the impact of man-made and natural ecological disasters. We will become more aware that our wellbeing is linked to the wellbeing of the Earth. The future is endangered by humankind’s unequal use of resources and inability to separate personal need from global justice and we want our OLOL children to see that they will be the generation that has the power to make the greatest change. We must take responsibility
The symbol for this year is the Church surrounded by water, showing Immersion in "Living Water". In the Biblical text of Ezekial 47:1-12, we read about this living water trickling from the Temple in Jerusalem. The water grows deeper and deeper, comes alive with fish and makes the barren land on each side of it fertile and healthy. Sustenance is provided for all from this living water. Eco systems are restored. Where there is toxicity comes hopeful new life. A physical renewal from God that brings healing, harmony, restoration and renewal to the earth.
During this season, say the Prayer for the Season of Creation and the small things to make family change (all of our small actions put together then create greater change over time!). Alongside our deep commitment to Laudato Si and to Live Simply (CAFOD) we are supporting Catholic Social teaching in the best way - with direct action! So think of ways that as a school family we can be part of this living water. Think especially of ways that we can save water and look after this life giving and life saving resource.
"May our lives become an opportunity to sing our love for God and care for our common home." Pope Francis
Ordinary Time at OLOL...
Ordinary time is anything but ordinary! We are in Ordinary Time now and it is the longest time in the liturgical calendar – split into two pieces separated by what we traditionally think of as the big seasons of Advent and Christmastide, then Lent and Easter. Our classrooms are covered in green to symbolise this season, and during this season, we think about the life and ministry of Jesus. During this time we are asked to deepen our prayer lives and our interaction with scripture so that we know Him more clearly. It is a time when we should be looking for opportunities to be active messengers spreading the Word.
It has been a long tradition in our faith to have special prayers for each weekday during Ordinary Time
- On Monday we honour the angels
- On Tuesday we honour the apostles
- On Wednesday we honour St Joseph
- On Thursday we honour the Eucharist
- On Friday we remember Christ’s death
- On Saturday we honour Our Lady
- On Sunday we relive the joy of Easter each week
Ordinary Time is not telling us that this season is “ordinary” or unimportant, it is a history of the life and work of Jesus and as we journey through it we grow in our faith and our relationship with God. It is filled with vital feasts and solemnities that mark key people of God, who formed our faith and events in the life of Jesus and the Saints.
Welcome Back to School OLOL
It is truly wonderful to welcome you all back to school, safe and sound, after the long summer holidays ready to start another busy and exciting school year. Treasure the happy memories of time spent with loved ones and adventures had, and get ready to challenge yourselves in all aspects of life and learning in this school year. Today we welcome the remaining youngest members of our school family and we are together again as one community of faith and learning.
May God watch over the children, staff and families at OLOL for this coming school year as we embark on new adventures in faith and learning together. Help us to see the excitement that comes from new learning and to treat this as a fresh start. May we all share in the joy of witness, sharing of the Good News and living lives where all of our words and actions in play, in prayer, in work and in family life are considered, and lead us to proclaim God's glory in all things. Help us to speak truth to justice and give service in what ever way we can. Amen