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Our Schools RE Project
Passing on the Faith
How can we help pass on the Catholic Faith to the next generation?
As Catholic women, we recognise that this is a task which is very much something that is our concern and responsibility. Most people first learn about God from a woman—it is mothers and grandmothers who are usually the first to tell children about Jesus Christ, about Christmas and Easter and what they signify, about praying and about the great events of Christ’s life, death and resurrection. Most teachers in Catholic primary schools are women.
Since 2000 the Association of Catholic Women has sponsored a Schools RE project, aimed at primary-age children (5-11). For the best essay on a specific topic relating to the Faith we offer an annual award—in the form of an engraved trophy the child keeps for a year plus a personal prize and a prize for the school. Small prizes for runners up and Certificates of Merit are also awarded. Every entrant receives a Holy Picture. A prize giving ceremony is organised.
The topics are chosen carefully. We are aiming to help teachers introduce children to central tenets of the Catholic Faith: that Jesus Christ is truly God and Saviour, that He died for us on Calvary and rose again, that He forgives our sins in the Sacrament of Penance and is truly present, under the appearance of bread and wine, in the Holy Eucharist.
ACW RE Project 2008 Results
The 2008 School’s Religious Education Project has been a great success! This year for the first time it was a joint venture. The Catholic Truth Society joined the Association of Catholic Women to make a massive expansion of the project possible and we are most grateful for their valuable input. The CTS was founded 140 years ago and has a magnificent track record of producing books, pamphlets, videos and DVDs teaching the Catholic Faith.
There were 2,203 entries from children at Catholic schools across Britain.
For the Project, children were asked to study two of Christ’s great miracles in the New Testament: the calming of the storm at sea and the healing of the paralytic man, to imagine themselves present at one of these events and to write a vivid account of it.
We aim to support and encourage Catholic RE teachers in their task of passing on the Faith. In promoting a study of Christ’s miracles, we sought to help teach children the great truth of Christ’s Divinity: that he is the Son of God, the second person of the Blessed Trinity. He could calm the winds and the waves, forgive sins and heal the sick. It was most encouraging to hear from many teachers that children had enjoyed taking part.
As the essays poured in, a team of judges ensured that each one was read. We awarded certificates of Merit and Special Merit to all that had reached a good standard. To those who had produced work of really high quality, we awarded prizes ― some seventy copies of the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church were sent to these pupils.
We were impressed by the high standard of many entries and disappointed by others which showed that children had been encouraged merely to suggest that Jesus was just a “special person” who was friendly and kind. In the essays which gained prizes and certificates, we found a lively engagement with the reality of Christ as discovered in the New Testament, and a great delight in learning about him. We found some real insights and a good grasp of the essential facts.
The winners selected are-
Age 6-8
1st prize Daniel Wood, St Thomas of Canterbury School, Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight
2nd prize Joel Hawkins, St Richard’s School. Chichester
3rd prize Jolie Beliako, St Vincent de Paul School, Acton, London W3
Age 9-11
1st prize Tolu Akinmboni, St Raphael’s , Northolt, Middlesex
2nd prize Septimus Kamara, Family School, Kidbrooke, London SE3
3rd prize Rachel Hart,Our Lady of Grace School, Dollis Hill, London NW2
The children won cash prizes - 1st prize £300, 2nd prize £200, 3rd prize £100 for their schools, plus personal book prizes which included copies of the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a book about saints and a copy of Benedict and Chico, the new book for children about Benedict XVI supposedly written by a cat! The top winners in each category won a trophy to be kept for a year. The winning schools also received £50 to be spent on books for their libraries.
All the pupils who took part in the Project were given special holy pictures
The following schools received prizes or certificates -
St Clare’s, Acklam, Middlesborough
St Mary’s, Isleworth, Middlesex
St Thomas More, Walderslade, Kent
SS Peter and Paul, Leyburn, North Yorkshire
Notre Dame, London SE18
Charlton House, St Mary’s College Prep Dept, Bitterne Park, Southampton
The Cathedral Primary, Lancaster
St Bede’s, Redditch, Worcestershire
English Martyrs, Oakham, Rutland
St Margaret Clitherow, Bracknell, Berkshire
Cheadle Catholic Junior, Stockport
St Mary’s, Bodmin. Cornwall
Queen’s Catholic Primary, Torquay
St William of York, Crosby, Liverpool
St Bernadette’s, London Colney, Hertfordshire
Farleigh, Andover, Hampshire
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Webheath, Redditch, Worcestershire
St Mary’s, Gidea Park, Essex
St Gregory’s, Northampton
SS Mary and Michael, St Sampsons, Guernsey
Larmenier and Sacred Heart, Hammersmith, London W6
St Ambrose Barlow, Hall Green, Birmingham
St Joseph’s, Matlock, Derbyshire
Holy Family, Wigan
Virgo Fidelis Prep, Upper Norwood, London SE19
St Catherine’s, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire
St John’s, Gravesend, Kent
St Thomas More, Eltham, London SE9
St Peter’s, Sittingbourne, Kent
Holy Name, Fishguard, Wales
St Joseph’s, Rossington, Doncaster
Our Lady’s, Acomb, York
St Aloysius, London NW1
St Patrick’s, Walsall
St Mary’s, Ryde, Isle of Wight
St Mary Magdalene, London SE4
Ursuline Prep, Ilford, Essex
St Mary and St John, Wigan
Our Lady’s, Barnstaple, Devon
St Mary’s, Wrexham
St Joseph’s, Camberwell, London SE5
St Mary’s, London NW6
Our Lady of Victories, London SW15
St Joseph’s, Woodend, London SE19
St Bernadette’s, Farnborough, Hampshire
St Joseph’s Convent Prep, Reading, Berkshire
Beechwood Sacred Heart, Tunbridge Wells, Kent
St Thomas of Canterbury, Grays, Essex
Our Lady of Grace, Charlton, London SE7
Our Lady Queen of Heaven, London SW19
St Mary’s, Llanelli, Wales
St Gregory’s, Ealing,London W5
St Charles, Rishton, Blackburn
Prize giving Ceremonies
Mrs Bogle, Mrs Robinson, Mrs Fordyce and Mr Fergal Martin presented the main prizes at ceremonies arranged at the schools.
St Raphael’s School, Northolt.
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