St Brigid's Primary School
Ballymena
Growing in Mind, Body & Spirit

Religious Education

We are a Catholic school and as such the Catholic Ethos permeates all that we do in St. Brigid's. This is witnessed most clearly in our school Religious Education programme which is the main channel through which our pupils' faith is fostered while at the school. Our staff are aware of the spiritual needs of the children and of the important part religious education plays in a child's upbringing. This understanding combined with our religious education programme helps to ensure that pupils acquire and develop the essential knowledge and skills to understand their faith and so engage in and contribute to society. We work very closely with our local clergy and in particular with our school chaplin, Fr. Aidan McCaughan in doing so. 

 

Our school motto, "Growing in Mind, Body and Spirit" is taken from our daily prayer to St. Brigid and reflects everything we strive to do for our pupils each day. School begins each day with morning prayers and assembly is held every Friday when all classes come together in the assembly hall for prayers and the sharing of good news such as pupil achievement and presentation of certificates. During the year each class presents their "class assembly" and the school community, including their parents are invited to join with them as they perform a short assembly which allows them to develop both their own faith and that of the assembled audience. In this way children listen to and learn from each other.

 

The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) is also made available to pupils at key liturgical times during the year. 

 

Special masses of thanksgiving are also celebrated and include at the beginning of the academic year, during Catholic Schools' Week in January, on St. Brigid's Day in February and for our P7 leavers in June. A class from P4-P7 attends Mass each week in All Saints Church on Monday mornings during the year. We prepare our children for the Sacraments of Reconcilliation (P3), First Holy Communion (P4) and Confirmation (P7) and this work is supported through our involvement in the parish "Do this in Memory" programme in P4 and through involvement in the "Come to Me Lord"  and "Faith Friends" programmes in P7.    

 

The ethos of Religious Education is firmly rooted in the Gospel and being Christ-centred, endeavours to develop the full potential of every child, staff member and parent within the St. Brigid's school faith community.



 

 

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