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Our Parish

(The Parish of Our Lady and all Saints and St Teresa's Catholic Primary School are working together in partnership)

 

St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School is blessed to be part of a vibrant and faith-filled parish community. Our close partnership with St Basil’s Church ( In the Our Lady & all Saint's Parish), supported by Father Sabu, the Sisters, parishioners and catechists, strengthens the spiritual life of our school and helps our children grow as active members of the Church.

Our relationship with the parish is central to our mission “With Jesus we live, love and learn.” It ensures that school and parish life flow together, giving pupils the opportunity to experience, celebrate and live out their faith within a wider Catholic community.

(Fr Sabu working with Year 2 students and Sister Andrea leading an Ash Wednesday Collective Worship in Year 1)

Regular Participation in Parish Mass

Pupils and staff attend mid-week Mass at St Basil’s, where children:

  • Serve as readers

  • Bring up the offertory

  • Support younger pupils in how to participate reverently

  • Engage with age-appropriate homilies from Fr Sabu

These Masses are well attended by parishioners, who often comment on the reverence, calm and confidence of our pupils.

One parishioner recently wrote that, "I just wanted to let you know how impressed I was when the school children attended mass in October. Their behaviour was exemplary. It was lovely to see the older children caring for the younger pupils...The respect they showed throughout the Mass and the beginning of the Holy Rosary was a credit to yourself and your staff for the example shown and the expectations given to them at school...Thank you again for inspiring these young children to show reverence and awe in the church."

 

Shared Liturgical Life

Together with the parish, we celebrate:

  • Regular mid-week mass

  • Feast days, including St Thérèse of Lisieux

  • May Procession honouring Our Lady

  • Lenten and Advent observations

  • Christmas Nativities and Easter Tableau

  • The recent 100 Years Parish Mass and special anniversary events

These moments bring the school and parish together in worship, strengthening the children’s understanding of the liturgical year.

Support From Our Parish Priest

Our parish priest, Father Sabu, plays an active and valued role in life at St Teresa’s. He:

  • Welcomes pupils to weekly Mass

  • Supports them in developing their roles as readers and servers

  • Blesses new prayer spaces (e.g., the Sensory Space)

  • Participates in whole-school liturgies at key times of year

  • Works closely with the Headteacher and RE Lead to shape spiritual life in his role as an RE link Foundation governor.

Collaboration on Sacramental Preparation

We work closely with the parish catechist team to support pupils preparing for the Sacraments, especially First Holy Communion. This includes:

  • Joint school-parish communication

  • Shared events and celebrations

  • Displays and resources created by the RE Lead/our students for the church

  • Pupils contributing to parish liturgies connected to their sacramental journey

  • Joint work with Holy Communion catechists to support our children's preperations.

This partnership ensures that sacramental formation is surrounded by prayer, community and celebration.

The Sisters and Parish Volunteers

We are blessed by the presence of Sisters within the parish, especially Sister Andrea, who:

  • Visits weekly

  • Reads with KS1 pupils

  • Offers gentle pastoral and spiritual support

Parish volunteers attend events, support charity drives, and strengthen the sense of a shared Catholic identity.

Faith in Action Together

The school and parish work hand-in-hand to live out Catholic Social Teaching. Examples include:

  • The school food bank, restocked by parishioners and staff

  • Charity initiatives such as the Harvest Food Drive and Big Lent Walk

  • Joint celebrations of the Church’s mission in the community

These acts of service express our shared commitment to walking the Little Way of St Thérèse—small acts of love with great impact.

A Family of Faith

Our parish partnership helps children understand they belong to something greater than their school—it roots them in the universal Church. Through shared worship, service, celebration and learning, we form young people who:

  • Know how to participate joyfully and reverently in Mass

  • Feel supported by the wider parish family

  • Recognise the parish as a place of welcome, prayer and belonging

  • Grow in faith through real examples of community and discipleship

This living relationship between parish and school is one of the great strengths of St Teresa’s—and a gift to every child in our care.

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