Christmas Charity Collection
St. Edmundās staff recently raised Ā£81.70 in a collection for the Haven Womenās Refuge. The Haven Wolverhampton, one of the largest refuge providers in the UK, supports women and dependent children who are at risk of domestic violence, homelessness and abuse. It provides emotional and practical support to some of the most vulnerable members of our local community.
An important aspect of our work at St. Edmundās is to teach our pupils to reach out and contribute to the wider community, especially those in need. As a staff, it is essential that we also actively demonstrate this ethos.
Through using In Kind Direct, we were able to donate six hampers which contained essential toiletries, a few āluxuryā items and some sweet treats to The Haven. We hope that this small gesture will help to brighten the day for those seeking refuge this Christmas.
Rise Theatre
As part of our Mission Week, we invited the group Rise Theatre to perform āRomero – Heartbeat of El Salvadorā. They performed twice during the day to all students and staff, and again in the evening to parents, our academy committee and guests from our parishes.
The three actors were very talented and played many parts, switching from different accents and negotiating costume changes. They told the life story of Blessed Oscar Romero from when he was a boy and his desire to be a priest, to his assassination whilst celebrating Mass on the 24th March 1980.
Romero became an Archbishop in 1977 and was a vocal critic of the violent activities of government, armed forces, right wing groups and leftist guerrillas involved in El Salvadorās civil conflict.
The play asked the question āWhat do we live for? Is it for love or for something else?ā It taught us that love is not a warm fuzzy feeling – real love is vulnerable, broken; it dares to get messy. Love is unselfish, it cannot walk on while other people suffer; it cannot help but reach out. Love is a heartbeat and can never be silenced.
The performance brought many of us to tears – it was powerful and thought provoking.
Thank you to everyone who came and enjoyed a Blessed evening.
This year the Feast of St Edmund took place on Friday 1st December 2017.Ā Ā We celebrated our patronal feast day with a whole school Mass. Ā The Mass also marked the end of our Mission week here at St Edmundās Catholic Academy, Wolverhampton – a double celebration.Ā Thirty guests were present including the Deputy Mayor Councillor Phil Page and Deputy Mayoress Elaine Hadley-Howell.
The focus of Mission Week was based on Pope Francisās address at World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland, in July 2016 when he encouraged young people to āLeave the sofa and make your markā. The Kristian Thomas Sports Hall, where the event took place, was an abundance Ā of āMake your Markā black and white t-shirts which had been kindly donated by Wood, Goldstraw & Yorath, Architects, Stoke-on-Trent and Lads and Lasses Schoolwear, Wolverhampton.Ā Examples of the studentās prayers over the week were displayed and the whole community gathered, including the majority of our support staff.
We were blessed with the presence of the Soli team – Catherine Smith, Vicki Chatten and Rick Netherwood and the St Edmundās choir led us in the St Jude Mass. Ā Fr Michael Dolman, Ā Vocations Director, Ā was the chief celebrant and he was joined by Monsignor Mark Crisp, our school Chaplain, Fr Jonathan Veasey Director of Diocesan Education Service and Fr Jan. Ā Two class representatives from each class led the procession of clergy with 10 altar servers in attendance.
Students from our Sixth Form led the readings and during the Offertory the student representatives gave their tutor groupās āCoat of Arms āas an offering.
Fr Michaelās Homily was based of the reading from Corinthians, reminding us that we do not have anything if we donāt have love.
āLove is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rudeā āLove bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all thingsā. āLove never endsā.
We finished the Mass with the schools Mission Song which raised the roof of the Sports Hall!
Christ the eternal King
With angels to You we sing
Knock on the door of my heart
With Your grace O Lord
Make Your mark
After Mass guests, staff and class representatives visited the Peace Garden where Monsignor Mark Crisp blessed the recently erected statue of Our Lady.
The day ended with staff and guests gathering for afternoon tea.Ā Mrs Hughes, Principal said, “It was the best day of her teaching career bar none”.
Invitation to Annual Candlelight Service.
We would like to invite you all to our annual Christmas Candlelight Carol Service at St Michaelās Church in Penn on Tuesday 12th December 2017 at 7 oāclock.
Please park carefully at the back of the church and be respectful of residents.
It is a time when all the Bishop Cleary Catholic Multi Academy schools and guests come together to tell the greatest story ever told through readings and songs.
Advent is a season of joy and anticipation, of patiently waiting, watching and preparing for the coming of our King so what better way to take time out of the busyness of the season and watch, wait and pray with us.
hrist the King Mass
On Sunday 26th November the school choir took part in an event which, in recent years, has become a regular feature for the choir, namely attending the Mass for the Feast of Christ the King at St Thomasā church in Tettenhall. This Feast marks the end of the Churchās liturgical year and celebrates the passing year, it also looks forward; the Gospel reading directs our attention towards our own end, about how we are living our own lives now and about the quality of our generosity towards God and neighbour. This aspect was particularly emphasised by Fr. Paul, the parish priest, paraphrasing part of his homily: Jesus, he said, ā…does not just ask us to forgive those who do very little wrong, but to bear patiently with those who are guilty of more serious wrong and to still forgive them, to still be loving and generous towards them.ā
The choir sang, what would be for many in the congregation, a new sung Mass, the Mass of St Jude by Mike Stanley, a suitable herald for the new Church year which begins next Sunday. Mr Bard, the Head of Music and Drama conducted the choir, accompanied by Ms Buzzing on the piano and the choir included Mr Garrity and myself, Mr White, among its melodious throng. Mr Bard and other members of staff received compliments from Fr. Paul and parishioners. Mrs Dickenson, an Academy Representative, Mrs Hughes, the Academy Principal and Mr Ā Katumba, Assistant Principal and Head of Religious Education were in the congregation and congratulated and thanked the choir for attending.
A special thanks to all members of the choir who attended the Mass, to their parents and carers for supporting their children getting to and from St Thomasā and finally for the refreshments provided by St. Thomasā after Mass.
Mr White
As I write this notice, we have 3days 12hours, 25mins and 42 seconds left until St Edmundās Catholic Academy embark on their first āMission Weekā. All staff and students will have an opportunity during the week to encounter God in different ways. Our theme for the week is āMake your Markā. On the last World youth Day Pope Francis asked us all to get off our sofaās and āMake a Markā on the world.
Who has made a Mark on your Life? How can you be more like then?
Some of our students at our Soli retreat wrote our Mission Prayer, please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers over the next week. I am sure this will be an amazing week for all and we will be blessed with the Love and Joy of our Lord
On Friday 10 November 2017 our annual whole school remembrance assembly was held. Mr Lloyd set the tone at the start of the assembly by playing ‘The Last Post’ on his trombone. The theme of this years assembly was ‘Remembering: Then and Now’.
Guided by Mrs Hazeldine and the visual images, the students and staff were very reflective throughout. It was fantastic to see participation from our Year 11 and 13 students who delivered readings, war poetry and a contemporary dance to Flanders Fields.
May I take this further opportunity to pay respect to all of the British Service men, women and their families who sacrifice for our freedom. ‘Lest We Forget’
Saturday 18th November 2:00pm – 4:00pm.Ā Boys and girls welcome ages 9-14.
Parental consent forms with Mrs Ferris – Lay Chaplain.
The new selected student academy committee represented the school on Thursday 2nd November at Mass for the Feast of the Holy Souls. Fr Brendan Carrick was kind enough to join us and celebrate this Mass with us.
All Souls’ Day commemorates the faithful departed. Through the month of November, Catholic churches will pray and remember those gone before us.
During the Mass prayers were said, as we remembered relatives of our community who passed away this year and previous years.
According to Catholic belief, the soul of a person who dies can go to one of three places. The first is Heaven, where a person who dies in a state of perfect grace and communion with God goes. The second is Hell, where those who die in a state of mortal sin are naturally condemned by their choice. The intermediate option is Purgatory, which is thought to be where most people, free of mortal sin, but still in a state of lesser (venial) sin, must go. Catholics believe that through the prayers of the faithful on Earth, the dead are cleansed of their sins so they may enter into heaven.
Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord; and let light perpetual shine upon them. May their soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
