Mercy – Whole School Prayer Resources

The Becket way word of the week – Teacher is the Expert

At the Becket School we are very lucky that we have expert teachers in all of the different subjects that you study.  They have worked hard to create a curriculum that gives you the core knowledge and skills to be successful not only in assessments and exams but also in your life when you leave the school.  We must always respect the expert in the classroom and their skills in knowing how to ensure all students learn best.  They are always the authority in the classroom and instructions should always be adhered to the first time. If a teacher asks you to move seats, work in silent, gives you a reminder or a formal it is because they are making that decision to support your learning and the learning others.  Their decision is to be respected and accepted at all times.  

• Share with your tutor group – Why is this important in maintaining high standards in the classroom?
• Incorporate it within your conversation with students during lesson or unstructured time.
• Include in any roll call that week.

The Word of the week is Mercy and we are in the second week of Eastertide – Alleluia!

This week we are praying for…

• Year 11 and Year 13 who have their leavers celebrations this week
• The happy repose of the soul of Pope Francis who died on Easter Monday
• The Catholic Church across the world as we mourn the death of Pope Francis and celebrate his wonderful life
• Cardinals of the Catholic Church who will be discerning and voting for a new pope in Rome

Please keep them in your prayers this week and don’t forget to add any suggestions for prayer intentions to the comments box below!

Key Stage Celebration of the Word and Catholic Life Rota:

Monday – Year 7 and 8 Key Stage COTW in the Chapel

Tuesday – Year 9 and 10 Key Stage COTW in the Chapel

Wednesday – Year 11 and 12 Key Stage COTW in the Chapel

On Wednesday, there will be a Prayer and Liturgy Chaplaincy Team meeting in the Chapel at 12:30pm, students can have their lunch after the meeting.

On Thursday, year 8 have their Vocations themed retreat day. Year 8 will have normal form time and then they will be off timetable for the rest of the day completing workshops, tasks, a Q&A panel and reflections. Year 8 forms will prepare for the Vocations Q and A panel during form time and then form groups will come down to the hall at 9:05am for the day to start. More details will be shared to staff via email. Year 8 need to wear their normal school uniform and bring in their normal equipment (pencil cases, water bottles, lunch, conduct cards etc), but they do not need to bring their PE kits or work books.

On Friday morning, it is the year 11 and year 13 Leavers celebrations in the chapel and hall.

We are in the season of Eastertide – Alleluia! Please make sure to change your Liturgical colour flipcharts in your form rooms, take down any Lenten posters (calendars) and put your Easter bunting up when it is finished!

Year 10 Briars Retreat – 14th – 16th May

Please make sure to return your parental consent health forms and behaviour contracts to the office or the chapel as soon as possible. You will not be allowed to attend the retreat unless these forms are returned correctly.

Year 9 Briars Retreat – 2nd – 6th June

Please make sure to return your parental consent health forms and behaviour contracts to the office or the chapel as soon as possible. You will not be allowed to attend the retreat unless these forms are returned correctly.

On Wednesday, there will be a Prayer and Liturgy Chaplaincy Team meeting in the Chapel at 12:30pm, students can have their lunch after the meeting.

Let us begin this time of prayer with the sign of our faith, the sign of the cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Our brilliant fundraising projects continue for the Our Lady of Hope school in Benin. Alleluia! We have had some incredible fundraisers already take place and there are some more exciting projects coming up! We want to celebrate this and reignit some energy back into our fundraising projects so we have a video to share with you from the Justice and Peace Team…

Thank you team and thank you to everyone who has contributed to our fundraising by leading a fundraiser or donating! We have 4 more weeks to fundraise as much as possible, let’s do this! Here’s a reminder of the things that Our Lady of Hope are in need of…

During Lent, each form was given a pledge poster to fill out. Make sure to complete yours if you haven’t done so already! There are spares in the staffroom if you need another.

Please complete the following quick google form to share what you are fundraising for and how you are planning to do it. If you need help advertising an upcoming fundraiser, please email Ruth, Joe and Mrs Conlon with the details!

https://forms.gle/suhnhStYCtggbWgFA

Coming up**!!

CHESS TOURNAMENT – Ben Jackson in Year 11 and Mr Mosley are helping to coordinate a Chess tournament. It is £1 to enter and we need your names and money by Friday 2nd April if you would like to compete please! Ben will then put together a rota for the tournament. Please give your name and money to Ben in C7, Mr Mosley, Ruth or Mrs Conlon if you would like to take part!

Y7 DISCO – 9B will be organising a year 7 disco to fundraise for Benin. It will take place after school on Wednesday 21st May! More information and the ticket release date will be available soon. Year 7 tutors will be emailed details once confirmed.

ARTWORK SALE – Sophia in 10B has put together some incredible pieces of artwork which she is selling to students and staff for Benin!

What incredible work! So let’s be inspired by other forms who have put their faith into action and let’s use this time in form to plan how you’re going to raise money for the incredible students and staff in Benin!

P.S remember that there is a prize for the form who fundraise the most!

Let us pray…

Heavenly Father, Thank you for the joy of Easter and the new life we have through Jesus’ resurrection – Alleluia! We pray for the students in Benin who need our help. Bless our fundraising so it brings them hope and support in their education. Help us to be kind and generous, sharing your love in all we do. Alleluia! Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

On Thursday, year 8 have their Vocations themed retreat day. Year 8 will do some Vocations Q&A prep during form time and then they will be off timetable for the rest of the day completing workshops, tasks, a Q&A panel and reflections. Year 8 forms will prepare for the Vocations Q and A panel during form time and then form groups will come down to the hall at 9:05am for the day to start. More details will be shared to staff via email. Year 8 need to wear their normal school uniform and bring in their normal equipment (pencil cases, water bottles, lunch, conduct cards etc), but they do not need to bring their PE kits or work books.

Let us begin this time of prayer with the sign of our faith, the sign of the cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

On Tuesday 29th April it was the feast day of St Catherine of Siena… but who was St Catherine of Siena?

• St Catherine of Siena was born in Italy in 1347.
• She was one of 25 children in a big family! From a young age, Catherine loved Jesus deeply and wanted to live a life of prayer and service.
• Even though she never became a nun, she lived like one — helping the poor, caring for the sick, and giving wise advice to powerful people, even Popes!
• Catherine worked hard to bring peace to the Church and the world during a time of great arguments and division.
• She is known for her writings about God’s love and mercy, and for encouraging people never to be afraid to be holy.
• St Catherine died at just 33 years old, but her courage and kindness changed history.
• She was later named a Doctor of the Church — a special title given to saints whose teachings help the whole Church. There are 4 women doctors of the church currently and Catherine is one of them!

The Word of the Week is ‘Mercy’, and St Catherine of Siena demonstrated mercy throughout her short life. She lived mercy by helping the sick and the poor even when it was dangerous. She showed mercy by speaking the truth with love, even to leaders who had made mistakes. She believed that God’s mercy is bigger than any sin and that God never gives up on anyone. St Catherine teaches us that being merciful sometimes means having courage — to help, to forgive, and to bring others closer to God.

She famously said:

“It is love, not nails, that holds Jesus to the cross.”

This quote captures her deep understanding of Jesus’ mercy and sacrifice — that His love for humanity, not the physical nails, was what truly kept Him on the cross.

Jesus showed the greatest love by giving His life for us, held to the cross not by nails, but by love. We are called to live with that same love and mercy in our own lives.

In your prayer journals, write a short reflection, thinking about the following questions:

✨ How can you show love and mercy to others this week?
✨ Who is in need of Mercy whose life you can touch? Family, friends, staff, peers who might feel left out, people on the margins of society, people who are supported through charities such as CAFOD, Emmanuel House, Our Lady of Hope school in Benin.

You can write a sentence, a short promise, a prayer or draw a picture.

Some ideas might be:

• “I will show love by helping my brother with his homework, even when I don’t feel like it.”
• “I will be merciful by forgiving my friend when they say something hurtful.”
• “I will listen carefully when someone needs to talk.”
• “I will stand up for someone being treated unfairly and raise awareness for injustice in my conversations and on social media.”

As you write in your prayer journals you may wish to colour in the St Catherine of Siena quote your tutor has and pin it to your form prayer board as a reminder of God’s love and mercy he shows us in light of Divine Mercy Sunday and St Catherine of Siena’s feast day. You may even want to write a pledge on it how you’ll show more mercy as a form.

Let us finish in prayer;

Merciful God,

Thank you for the example of St Catherine of Siena.
Help us to be brave in showing mercy,
to speak the truth with kindness,
and to help those in need.
May we live with love and courage,
just as Catherine did,
and trust in Your great mercy every day.
Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

On Friday morning, it is the year 11 and year 13 Leavers celebrations in the chapel and hall. Let us keep year 11 and year 13 in our prayers this morning and throughout their exam period!

Good morning, let us begin with the sign of our faith, the sign of the cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

There are so many incredible saints to celebrate in Eastertide and today we celebrate another feast day!

St Joseph was the foster father of Jesus and the husband of Mary. The Church honours him on 1st May as St Joseph the Worker to remind us of the dignity and importance of work. Joseph was a carpenter — someone who works with wood — and he taught Jesus how to work hard, be patient, and take care of others. Pope Pius XII established the feast of St Joseph the Worker in 1955 to give all workers a model of holiness and to highlight the value of honest, humble work.

Through his simple, hardworking life, Joseph shows us that work is not just about earning money — it’s about serving God, our families, and our communities with love and care.

As we have reflected on this week, Mercy means showing kindness, patience, and love, even when it’s difficult. Joseph showed mercy when he protected Mary and Jesus, even though it meant giving up his own plans. He showed mercy through his quiet strength — he cared, provided, and loved without needing attention or praise. Joseph’s mercy is practical mercy: caring for others by actions — by working hard, providing safety, and offering love without conditions.

Joseph teaches us that we can show mercy not just with our words, but with our hands, our choices, and our daily actions.

💬 Discussion Questions

Talk about these in pairs or as a class...

1. How did Joseph show mercy through his work and actions?
2. How is ‘working hard’ a way of serving God and others?
3. Who in your life works hard to care for you? How can you show them appreciation?
4. How could you show mercy at school or at home today, like Joseph did? Give some examples to the rest of your form to inspire them.

Using your template of St Joseph the Worker, your tutor has, you are going to colour in, cut out and glue your 3D figure of St Joseph. On the artwork you’ll notice Joseph holding the infant Jesus, a hammer and nails and joinery tools to show his work as a carpenter. It also includes Latin phrases;

• “Ora pro nobis” = “Pray for us”
  • “Ad te, beate Joseph” = “To you, blessed Joseph”

These phrases are part of traditional prayers asking St Joseph to pray for us and help guide us. They remind us that Joseph watches over us just as he cared for Jesus.

Once you’ve created your St Joseph, place him on your prayer board, where he will remind us daily to work hard with love, to serve others with mercy, and to trust God, just as he did.  

Let us finish in prayer:

Loving God,
We thank you for St Joseph, a quiet and faithful servant.
Help us to work hard, live with mercy, and care for others like he did.
Teach us to trust You, even when life is uncertain.
St Joseph the worker, pray for us.
Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit Amen.

This week, we have been beautifully led by the Chaplaincy Team in our Celebrations of the Word in the chapel, reflecting on the theme of mercy and how Pope Francis followed Jesus’ example of mercy throughout his papal leadership. Pope Francis consistently shared acts of mercy with the world, especially with those on the margins of society.

Schools across the Nottingham Diocese have also gathered virtually this week to celebrate the life and witness of Pope Francis. In the stream below, you can watch a message from Bishop Patrick to our schools and young people in this Jubilee Year as we share hope and remember the wonderful life and legacy of Pope Francis. Bishop Patrick’s message begins at 10:00 on the timeline.