Within St Joseph’s parish there is a strong belief that the children are the Church and that supporting families in raising Catholic children is vitally important. Our parish welcomes the full participation of young children in the celebration of our 9.30am Family Mass.
The Liturgy of the Word is where we listen to the Sunday readings from the Bible and the Homily, where the priest interprets and relates the readings to our lives. This is generally aimed at adults. As a result, the 9.30am Sunday mass is the designated family Mass and children aged 2-12 are invited to attend their own Liturgy of the Word on most Sundays.
These groups are a support only and they do not replace the need for parents to bring the Gospel into their own homes.
The ‘Early Years’ group is for children in their last year of nursery or first year of school (Reception) and meets in the small section of the Canon Christall Hall. The ‘3 and Under’ group meets in the main section of the Canon Christall Hall.
These groups are run by adult volunteers. A simplified version of the gospel is read aloud and the key messages explained. Activities are planned using the themes of the Gospel. Children in these groups must be accompanied by an adult, who is responsible for their behaviour. This ensures that it is an enjoyable and beneficial experience for all the children. Adults are asked to try to help their children participate in the activities, keep their children calm, tidy up, put things away and stack tables and chairs at the end. Our aim is to make the children's experience of church meaningful, whilst helping them to grow in the faith of the Catholic Church and develop as full and active members of our Parish Community.
This group takes children from first year primary until First Holy Communion. This group meets in the Westlake room.
Children in this group should not need parents to remain with them and are expected to be able to listen and participate on their own. This group follows the readings of the day but in a much more accessible language for the age group. Activities related to the Gospel are normally done with the children such as drawing and craft activities.
This group takes children after they have made their First Holy Communion until the age of 12. This group meets in the Chatterton room.
The intention of this group is to provide a bridge between the gap children sometimes feel after they have made First Holy Communion and until they begin Confirmation preparation.
The children in this group read the readings and Gospel of the day in a language accessible to their age group. Discussion normally follows where the children are challenged about the Gospel's message and are given the opportunity to discuss together what it means to them.
Children in this group are also encouraged to participate in mass either as altar servers or readers.
The early years groups are always looking for extra support, so if you could help in any way please contact Helen Castledine on 01372 720603 or Helen_castledine@yahoo.co.uk.
No qualification or training is required but an induction session will be given and all resources, including books with pre-planned sessions provided by the church.