Prayer & Liturgy

Prayer & Liturgy at Saint Ambrose Barlow gives pupils and staff opportunities to come together to worship God. They are rooted in the example and teachings of Jesus Christ whilst taking into account the religious and educational needs of all who share in it. “Worship is concerned with reverence or veneration paid to a divine being or power.” (Circular 1/94)

Prayer & Liturgy are educational experiences or reflections to which all can contribute and from which all can gain.

• Those who form part of the worshipping community in church
• Those for whom school may be their first and only experience of church
• Those from other Christian traditions
• Those from other faith backgrounds

The Aims of Prayer & Liturgy

Through our Worship together, we aim to:

Reflect on spiritual and moral issues

Reflect on personal beliefs and help strengthen their individual faith, and guide the children on their faith journey.

Develop community spirit

Respond to and celebrate life to reinforce positive attitudes

Contemplate the mystery of God to enable and encourage a sense of belonging; to encourage a common ethos and shared values

Build a firm foundation for liturgy

Enrich the religious experience of children and staff 

Give worth to

Wonder at

Come to terms with…

Who should be involved in Prayer & Liturgy?

Pupils – they must have the opportunity to take part in daily worship.

GIFT Team – they will plan and lead acts of worship.

Teachers – they plan and enable worship to take place each day.

All staff – they are invited to participate in all acts of worship.

Parents – they too are invited to participate in acts of worship during class assemblies, Stay & Pray events, and be active members in the sacramental preparation of their children, etc.

Where should Prayer & Liturgy take place?

• In the classrooms
• In the hall
• In church
• In the open, including outdoor prayer spaces

At St Ambrose Barlow, we allow our children to gain a broad and balanced diet of all three aspects of Prayer and Liturgy.

PRAYER:

·  All classes are allowed to worship daily through prayer. This can include familiar, spoken prayers, spontaneous prayers or silent intentions of their own.
· Every class will say prayers a minimum of 3 times a day: Morning prayer, Grace Before Meals and End of the Day prayer.
· It is a time when we encourage the pupils to just ‘be’ with God.
·  There is always space for silence.
·  Prayer should lift up our hearts and minds.

CELEBRATION OF THE WORD:

· At St Ambrose Barlow, the whole school gather for Celebration of the Word on Monday mornings, with the Head Teacher leading this, within an assembly.

· Classes celebrate the Word together weekly, within their classrooms, in an alternative space in school or even outside.

· Key stage phases or buddy classes share weekly Celebration of the Word together.

· Scripture is read directly from a Bible source.

· Four parts of worship are followed: Gather, Listen, Respond, Go Forth.

· Every class celebrate Stay and Pray sessions once a year, where parents are invited into school to stay and celebrate the Word with their children.

· The community are invited into school at various points throughout the year to celebrate the Word during coffee mornings such as ‘The Big Advent Breakfast’.

LITURGY:

· Mass is celebrated weekly by various classes during the school year. Two or three classes attend Mass at Church every Tuesday am.

· Whole School Mass is celebrated regularly throughout the school year, to mark key events in the school and liturgical calendars.

· The Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion are celebrated within Year 4, where the community is invited to share in these wonderful occasions.

· The Sacrament of Reconciliation or Service of Absolution is offered for the rest of the school, during Advent or Lent.

· All who are present during Liturgy are invited to participate through mind and body.

Liturgy Information 2026-27

For more prayer ideas from the Archdiocese of Liverpool please follow the link below:

https://www.liverpoolcatholicresources.com/family-prayer-ideas