Spirituality Day

On Monday, St Vincent’s took part in Spirituality Day!

As part of World Week, where we celebrate our differences and similarities across the world, we come together as a school to remember the importance of prayer and action. All of us have the power to help the world be a better place.  Each class focused on a particular theme of Catholic Social Teaching (CST), including:

• Human Dignity
• Community and participation
• Care for Creation
• Solidarity and Peace
• Preferential Option for the Poor
• Dignity of Workers
• Common Good

We focused the activities across the school through this lens is to embed and deepen our understanding of the importance of CST in our lives, and to strengthen our connection with God as we complete this tasks. Each class linked their CST theme to a country or continent, where there are struggles, conflict or unfair conditions. Spirituality Day is all about how we can connect with God, through our faith and care for this creation and all of the people and creatures within it. We can connect with God in many ways; through our thoughts, words, actions and prayers.

All of the class activities during Spirituality Day were linked to the Catholic charity: CAFOD. We used this charity due to its amazing work to help people all around the world, based on the teachings of Christ. Throughout this week we will continue to be thankful for God’s world, and think about how we can all take steps to make the world to be a better place.

In assembly we came together as a school to share the lovely work everyone had completed within their classes.

Nursery focused on Stewardship, learning about how we need to be caring for the many gifts that God has given to us. These include our environment and our own talents.

Reception focused on The Common Good, remembering that what we do affects everyone. When we make decisions, we should think about the good of everyone.

Year 1 focused on Care for Creation, looking at the continent of Antarctica and considering how our actions can damage the environment. They learnt about how pollution is heating up the Earth which causes ice in the Arctic to melt.

Year 2 focused on Preferential Option for the Poor: exploring how food is grown in Bolivia, South America. They discussed where Bolivia is and the harsh climate it has which makes it difficult for crops to grow.

Year 3 focused on Community and Participation, through finding Bangladesh on a map and discuss its climate/topography. Learning about heavy monsoons/tropical cyclones in Bangladesh that makes it difficult to grow food, and flooding that can damage farms and homes.

Year 4 focused on Solidarity and Peace, and learning about the conflict in South Sudan. The class learnt about the impact of the conflict, many people have sadly lost their homes because of conflict and have had to find refuge in other countries. South Sudan has also faced severe droughts and food shortages which has meant poverty has increased.

Year 5 focused on Human Dignity. They discussed the difficulties people are who are forced from their homes might face and what we can do to support them. They learnt that during conflict people may have to seek refuge, meaning that people sometimes lose their human dignity. Human Dignity means that every human being is made in the image and likeness of God. This is a gift that we all share as fellow human beings; we are all infinitely loved by our Creator.

Year 6 also focused on Human Dignity. They discussed the unfairness/indignity that workers in places like Ghana, central Africa often face, and thought about the wider impact this has on their lives. Our response to indignity is rooted in this belief: “Love, overflowing with small gestures of mutual care, is also civic and political, and it makes itself felt in every action that seeks to build a better world” (Laudato Si’ 231).

Each class completed a task to enable them to think about the struggles of those less fortunate around the world, but with Charities such as CAFOD they are receiving support and spreading awareness. This provides us with education on their situations and an opportunity to pray for them and raise money for resources or volunteers to help them. Each class came together at the end of their sessions, to pray and remember to thank God for everything he has done for us, and how he is teaching us to follow in the footsteps of Christ.