15 October 2019
On Monday 14 October, Year 9 and their tutors enjoyed a Day of Reflection at Aylesford Priory, facilitated by the Southwark Youth Services Team. The students took time throughout the day to look at our Sacred Heart Goal for the academic year, Social Awareness.
The students worked together in pairs and in groups as they took time to appreciate where they have come from and where they feel they are as individuals now. As members of Year 9, who do they share their lives with? Who do they walk alongside? And do we all take time to get better acquainted with those we don’t know well within the school community?
Cardinal John Henry Newman was canonised in Rome the day before our Day of Reflection and the students reflected on his words: ‘God created me to do him some definite service, he has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another’. The challenge is to appreciate and develop our own uniqueness and gifts by reaching out to others. It is important to realise our own special role that we have to play in the school and beyond, to be brave and to make a difference by sharing our gifts and talents with those around us. It is important to love and be aware of those we meet each day, to be aware of what is happening in our world and to realise how we can be the inspiration which encourages change.
The day concluded with the celebration of Mass, which was prepared by the students. We were challenged by the words of St Paul to make our world and our school community a better place by appreciating who we are and reaching out to one another with 'Compassion, kindness, humility, patience, forgiveness and above all, clothe ourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony' (Colossians 3:12-17).
Fr Gerry Devlin, Chaplain
