More than 150 Coventry school pupils showcase what faith means to them
Rallying cries of Pope Francis’s words “Hearts on fire, feet on the move” kickstarted a special event in Coventry on Tuesday 22 October.
The ‘I am Church’ event was held at Sacred Heart, Harefield Road, and attracted over 150 pupils representing 12 Coventry schools.
From the off it was evident that Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is shining bright in Coventry with pupils seizing the opportunity to showcase how they’re putting their faith into action on a daily basis.
The event was organised by Grainne Griffiths, headteacher at Holy Family Catholic Primary School, together with Sister Judith Russi, Director of EducareM, which encompasses the National School of Formation programme for all senior leaders and governors in Catholic education.
Inspired by training she received from Sr Judith, Mrs Griffiths introduced the ‘Building the Kingdom’ curriculum into the school – weaving elements of CST through the national curriculum, not just in RE.
‘Building the Kingdom’ comes from the ‘Our Father’. It is a way of teaching which encourages teachers to ask questions, not just give answers. High-level questioning and challenging by pupils to enable them to become critical, analytic, creative thinkers.
At the event pupils spent the morning sharing ideas and best practice of what they’re already doing to live out the seven Catholic Social Teaching themes – Dignity of the Human Person, Family and Community, Solidarity and the Common Good, Rights and Responsibilities, Option for Poor and Vulnerable, The dignity of work, Stewardship – Care for our common home.
They delivered presentations to their peers, each time getting more confident as their public speaking improved.
Issues of injustice today such as why do we need food banks in a first world country, environmental projects, solidarity, spending time with older people and raising money for those in the greatest need were just some of the topics being discussed.
“This is all about the children,” said Mrs Griffiths. “As St Catherine of Siena said, ‘Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire’.
“The children are our future, and we have to inspire them to be change makers. Here they are speaking out in public, putting their faith into action. We are making advocates for change, empowering them to grow in confidence so that they can speak out.
“Hopefully they will be even more inspired when they return to their respective schools and share what they’ve learnt.”
Sr Judith said headteachers attending the formation programme run by EducareM are actively passing on the ‘Building the Kingdom’ approach to the national curriculum to schools across the country.
“What we are witnessing today are young people finding their voice as Gospel activists, growing in confidence and discovering a new way of giving the Gospel message a clear connection with their experience of the world today,” said Sr Judith. “Coventry is very united in its schools – working together as a force for good. Where adults fail to speak children will, if we prepare them.
“In the afternoon several children spoke about ‘I am Church’ and what it means to them. Their love for being part of the Church came across very strongly. However, they were not shy of presenting us with the challenges and big questions facing the Church today.
“It was very helpful that four members of the clergy attended the day and formed a panel in the afternoon to respond to the speaker’s questions, ranging from a lack of attendance at Mass, women priests and how to cope with the pressures of daily life. It was clear from the responses of the students that they felt heard and valued.”
