The year 2025 is a very special Jubilee Year for Catholics across the world, as we answer Pope Francis’ call to be Pilgrims of Hope. This Jubilee invites us to walk together in faith, with hearts full of hope, trust, and joy in God’s promise. For our school, it is an important opportunity to deepen our mission of living out the Gospel every day. Each step we take—whether in prayer, learning, service, or celebration—reminds us that we are pilgrims journeying with Christ, carrying hope into our school, our families, and our community. Every day, we strive to live as Pilgrims of Hope, and below you will find just some of the ways we have marked and celebrated this extraordinary Jubilee Year.

 

Jubilee Launch Assembly 

We were delighted to launch the Jubilee Year with a whole school assembly led by our wonderful GIFT Team. Together, we explored the Jubilee symbol and reflected on its meaning for our school community. The children guided us in a time of prayer and quiet reflection, helping us think about how we can each become Pilgrims of Hope in our daily lives. We ended our celebration by joyfully singing the diocesan Jubilee song, marking the beginning of this special year with faith, unity, and hope.

 

 

 

Jubilee Pilgrimage Walk 

As part of the Jubilee Year, where we are called to be Pilgrims of Hope and to embrace the spirit of pilgrimage, our Year 5 and Year 6 classes undertook their very own pilgrimage walk. The children walked over seven miles from school to one of the designated Jubilee Churches, the Hidden Gem in Manchester. They walked with purpose, hope, and great determination, pausing every mile for prayer and reflection as part of their spiritual journey. On arriving at the Hidden Gem, they joined the parish community for Mass, completing a meaningful and memorable pilgrimage experience.

 

 

24 Hours with the Lord – Connecting with our Parish

Throughout the year, we have continued to strengthen our partnership with our parish community, and one particularly memorable occasion was when our GIFT Team led a section of the parish’s 24 Hours with the Lord. This special event took place on a Saturday, with the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in church for a full 24 hours. Our GIFT Team were honoured to lead one of the hours, offering prayer, reflection, and hymn singing in front of the parish community. Their reverence, confidence, and faith shone through, making it a truly beautiful moment of shared worship. We are so proud of our pupils on the right who represented us.

 

Jubilee Prayer Stations 

As part of our Jubilee celebrations, we hosted a series of Jubilee Prayer Stations throughout the year. Each class visited all seven stations, taking time to pause, reflect, and pray. The stations helped the children think deeply about hope, what it means to be Pilgrims of Hope, and how they can share that hope with others in their daily lives. These moments of quiet reflection and thoughtful discussion became a meaningful part of our Jubilee journey as a school community. We also spent time writing our own personal pledges for the Jubilee Year, thinking carefully about how we could each be Pilgrims of Hope in our daily lives. Every child reflected on the small but meaningful ways they could bring hope to others, and these pledges became a beautiful part of our Jubilee celebrations.

 

 

Jubilee Art 

As part of our Jubilee celebrations, each class created beautiful Jubilee artwork reflecting how we can be Pilgrims of Hope in our school, our homes, and our wider community. The children worked with great thought and creativity, producing pieces that showed their understanding of hope, faith, and the call to walk with Jesus. We were proud to enter our work into the Diocesan Jubilee Art Competition, and we are delighted that one of our KS2 pupils was chosen as the Lower Key Stage 2 winner for the entire Diocese. Their artwork is now proudly displayed in the Cathedral Centre.

 

 

CAFOD Big Lent Walk 

As part of our Jubilee Year celebrations, we were proud to take part in CAFOD’s Big Lent Walk, one of the special Jubilee initiatives encouraging schools and parishes to walk in solidarity with communities around the world. Our children embraced the challenge with enthusiasm, walking with hope and purpose as Pilgrims of Hope. Through the generosity of our families and the determination of our pupils, we raised over £1,300 to support CAFOD’s vital work. It was a wonderful way for our school community to live out our mission, strengthen our Jubilee journey, and make a real difference to others.

 

 

Jubilee Anchor 

As part of our Jubilee celebrations, we were delighted to receive the Diocesan Jubilee Anchor from St Patrick’s High School. We welcomed it into our school with a beautiful Celebration of the Word, led with great reverence by our children. Throughout the day, every class had the opportunity to visit the anchor, spend time in quiet prayer, and take part in special prayer stations reflecting on hope and discipleship. Each child also wrote their own personal Jubilee pledge, which was then lovingly “anchored” to the symbol. Our GIFT Team were honoured to continue the journey by passing the anchor on to St Joseph the Worker School.