Catholic Life
School Prayer
Our chapel at St Bernard’s is used by students and staff during Mass or for private prayer and reflection. We are fortunate to have such a beautiful chapel in our school and we have kept all the original features where possible. The student designed stations of the cross are kept in the chapel all year, but during Lent, they are placed in the nun’s gardens so that as many students as possible can take part in walking the stations of the cross.
The Rosary
The rosary is prayed at school at lunchtime in the chapel. Praying the rosary takes place during the months of October and May.
Mass at St Helen’s
All students have a start of year Mass which take place at St Helen’s Church along with the parishioners. There are also form Masses throughout the academic year which will either take place in our School Chapel, or at St Helen’s Church. Form Masses are planned by the liturgy prefect in conjunction with the RS and Chaplaincy Department.
Charities
As a school, charity work is very important us. Throughout the year, forms will raise money for their chosen charities and will fill in an events form for any activities they wish to do in order to raise money. There are so many to list but they include: Great Ormond Street Hospital, Charities to aid dementia patients, and Marie Curie. There are also whole school charity fund raising which takes place at certain times in the year. The charities we raise money for and donate goods to are:
- CAFOD
- SVP
- Harp
- Women’s refuge
Liturgical/spiritual calendar
CAFOD Family Fast Day - Friday 7th October - soup and a roll lunch
Harvest Festival Mass for Year 7 and families - Friday 7th October at 6pm
Holy Days of Obligation:
- All Saints - 1st November 2022
- Epiphany - 6th January 2023
- Feast of the Ascension - 18th May 2023
- Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul - 29th June 2023
Advent Services at lunchtime:
- Friday 25th November
- Friday 2nd December
- Friday 9th December
- Friday 16th December
Ash Wednesday Services - Wednesday 22nd February
Stations of the Cross - every Friday in Lent
Services of Reconciliation in the Chapel throughout Lent during registration led by House Liturgy Prefects and other Sixth Formers
Passion Masses - Friday 31st March
Form Masses run every Tuesday either in the School Chapel or in St. Helen's church
St Vincent de Paul Society
St Vincent's Centre, Southend is a community centre, part of the St Vincent de Paul Society of England and Wales, which provides local support for vulnerable families and individuals. St Vincent de Paul Society is in 153 countries where they seek to ensure that the needs of local people in poverty are met. They emphasise supporting the most vulnerable, particularly the homeless, those who are vulnerably housed or ‘sofa-surfing’. Their support is also extended to elderly people and those who are isolated, living in poverty, or who just need additional support. This is achieved by providing packages of food, clothing, and household items. For the poor with medical concerns, the Society also has medical checks and counselling available.
The Young Vincentians of St Bernard’s High School work closely with the St Vincent Centre in Southend. They have undertaken food and clothing drives; attended functions that support the isolated elderly; have volunteered at the Centre to receive public donations and have become involved in a myriad of tasks to facilitate the smooth running of the Centre. In addition, some students have raised funds for the Ukrainian people by participating in a car wash, and worked energetically with our allotments where food is grown for the market to help local people in need.