Dom Peter, Senior Chaplain

We are hugely excited about the advent of Subiaco at Worth this coming January. If you've not heard of it before, this is because it is an initiative created just for our students, and aims to encourage in them friendship with each other and friendship with Christ.

These groups, which will be across years and across houses, will be lead by senior students and will make a priority of spending time together in friendship and in Lectio Divina.

You may ask yourself what is new about these groups? Why the name Subiaco? Subiaco is the place where Benedict formed his first disciples

and sent them out to form new communities of monks and nuns. We take our inspiration from this, and Subiaco groups will become a model of 'Benedictine' discipleship for our

young people. Inspired by the experience of places like

Taizé in France and the Manquehue movement in Chile, the pace and agenda for these groups will be set by our young

people themselves.

We are very excited about this, and hope that this initiative will put fresh heart into the way we live and discover our faith at Worth. Subiaco will be launched to the School in mid-January, and more information for pupils and parents will be publicised then.

Good NewsIssue no.1 | December 2014

News from Housesby House Chaplains

Pages 2 & 3

Next Term's EventsBy Dom Peter

Page 6

‘I no longer call you servants, but friends.’By Eamon Manning

Friendship with Christ through friendship with one another has become a new theme for our Chaplaincy. This is given concrete expression in a new initiative which will begin in January.

Welcome!

Dear Parents,I’m delighted to introduce this first Chaplaincy newsletter, and I hope it will stimulate a greater level of engagement between all of us. The fostering of faith within the School is greatly enhanced when you are better informed about what’s going on and so we can support each other better. May I commend to you two great new initiatives; firstly, a change of our location to the 'study block' – something we think will greatly improve our visibility and accessibility and secondly, the beginning of inter house ‘Subiaco’ groups. These groups will really allow pupils to understand and become empowered by their faith and friendship with others. Exciting times!On behalf of the whole Chaplaincy team I wish a happy and joyful Christmas.With every blessing, Fr. Peter

News from the Chaplaincy at Worth School

Butler NewsBy Dom Martin

Page 2

2 Good News | Issue no.1, December 2014

Butler House helps African Prisons’ ProjectBy Dom Martin

It’s been a busy term for the Chaplaincy in Butler House, and even in the midst of busying themselves with their academic and sporting pursuits, the boys still find time to think of others and support a wonderful charity.

We are very fortunate in Butler House to have two committed Chaplaincy Reps, Max and Raphael, who are a great support to me as House Chaplain and who also give a great lead to the other members of the House. And, of course, Elikem Logan, Head of House, is also incredibly supportive of the Chaplaincy.

These three students are particularly effective in leading the two House Lectio groups where we prayerfully meditate on a passage from Scripture and share with others how it speaks to us personally. The Thursday Night group is voluntary and is open to Years 10, 11 & 12. An average of

11 boys attend, though there are about 18 who are present on a regular basis. The Year 9 group meets once a fortnight and is compulsory.

This year the House has chosen to support African Prisons Project as its charity. Various fundraising projects will take place in the New Year, including a 50-mile cycle ride by Mr Donegan and Fr Martin in the spring. Alexander McLean, the founder of the charity, has given an inspiring interview to the winter 2014 issue of Identity. As an 18-year-old Gap student in Uganda he discovered the terrible plight of many young prisoners and was moved to do something

From the Houses...

St Bede's House

This term has seen the usual round of activity, a particular high point of which has been the return of our House Mass; once every half term we gather in our common room and Dom Thomas celebrates Mass. The boys take great care over preparing the room, serving, reading and singing - not to mention the party afterwards.

Lectio has begun again with real commitment and with groups for Year 9 and Senior years. The House is ably led in daily prayers and in all matters spiritual by our dynamic duo of Chaplaincy Reps, Roy and Paweł.

Farwell & Chapman

Lectio is growing in popularity this term and Br Gabriel has continued the tradition of Chaplain's Tea. Fr Thomas continues to be a presence in his 'drop-in room' next the Green Room. This informal chance to catch up and chat is available at most break times is welcomed by many

students.

St Anne's House by Dom David

Now the largest House in the school, we are having morning registration in the Pitstop, which is a great opportunity for me to meet the whole House every day. We are able to have a short time of prayer using the daily

Lectio booklet which gives a simple verse from scripture to ponder.

The two Chaplaincy Reps Jo and Annabelle have begun their year really well, and have organised an introduction to Lectio for all Year 9’s in the enrichment period on Monday

afternoon –games – something to eat – and scripture !

We have arranged for a 24-hour retreat “ Soul Time “ for all Year 12 girls at the very beginning of next term Friday 8th – Sat 9th Jan. This will be in Compass House – information coming soon.

3Worth School Chaplaincy

From the Houses...

Rutherford House

Dom Peter writes: There is a thriving little voluntary Lectio group going in the House this term, ably led by Lenny and Guy meeting once a week. This year it seems to have grown in size and in commitment, if it gets any bigger we will have to think about two groups! This half term we have also started a compulsory Lectio tast-er group for Year 9 until Christmas; hopefully after Christmas some might like to join the main group.

This year the House has elected to support Cancer Research. The fundraising has been slow up until now but we are hoping to get more going after Christ-mas.

We celebrated very beau-tiful House Masses in the day room at the start and end of the Autumn term. We were delighted to celebrate the fact that James North and Alex Ryan made their First Holy Communion at the end of October.

St Mary's Houseby Dom Stephen and Mrs Maria Young

St Mary’s Chaplaincy has continued with its traditional pattern, punctuating the week with prayer and reflection. In addition to the traditional ‘Word to Live By’ assembly each Tuesday and the regular Chaplain’s tea parties, silent meditation is the popular

way to end Thursday evenings in the Abbey Church. We were delighted that eight girls in Year 13 opted to join in the annual 24-hour retreat with the Poor Clare nuns at Crossbush; an enriching and inspiring experience for all. Lectio in the House is running strongly at the moment, thanks to our three super-committed Chaplaincy Reps, with weekly sessions for Year 9 and also an open session, which is well attended.

Two St Mary’s girls took part in the Order of Malta Volunteers Lourdes pilgrimage last summer, and one of our Year 12 girls had a very rewarding time volunteering with the CCHF 'All About Kids' project at Worth last summer. Next term we plan to run a weekly Christian Meditation and prayer session in the early morning. St Mary’s girls are regular attendees (the backbone, really) of the weekly Chaplaincy Mass.

about it. He recounts in Identity:“Eventually I got access to visit Uganda’s maximum security prison, built in 1927 by the British for 600 people; it’s now got 3500. I started by visiting death row. I was struck by the fact that there were teenagers there. People had got the death penalty for crimes I hadn’t heard of, like cowardice and mutiny. Often the inmates hadn’t had lawyers. After death row, I went to the prison’s hospital. When I went in, an 18-year-old boy had died. He was sewn up in a blanket to be buried in a mass grave. I thought nobody deserves to die in this miserable environment. So I came back to England for a couple of weeks and through my school and friends and family and church, I raised several thousand pounds.”Your support for this very worthwhile

charity will be greatly appreciated.

Finally I would like to share with you a prayer inspired by St Benedict, composed specially to conclude Butler House Morning Prayer:

O gracious and Holy Father, give us the wisdom to search for you, eyes to see you, a heart to love you, and a life to praise you; through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

The latest issue of Identity, where you can read about Alexander's work is on sale in the Abbey Bookshop, priced at £3.00. More information about the African Prisons' Project can be found at www.africanprisons.org

Above: Lectio around the Cloister. In September Year 13 enjoyed a day of reflection in the inspiring surroundings of Canterbury Catherdral. The day gave them all a chance to reflect on their vocation in life.

4 Good News | Issue no.1, December 2014

'O Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.'By Dom David

Thursday Worship is a high-point of the week at Worth, as the whole commu-nity gathers in the Abbey Church. This term's liturgies have been characterised by aesthetic beauty but also some challenging messages.

Following on from the highly contagious 'Ice Bucket Challenge' over the summer on Facebook, Fr Mark, as celebrant at our first school Mass, preached on what it meant to celebrate the 'Holy Water Bucket Challenge'. Although this baptismal sprinkling ritual was already planned, it was given a very fresh expression. The whole congregation (not Fr Mark) were sprinkled with holy water as a sign of their baptism. Sadly no ice buckets were deployed.

The challenge in the Holy Water Bucket came from the Gospel of the day – “ love your enemies” – probably the greatest challenge for all of us.

The following Thursday we performed another ritual which has become customary over the last few years. Equally startling, but in a different way, we follow Jesus’ example of washing the feet of the Disciples. This generous act is to focus on the servant nature of our community and ourselves as individuals. During the liturgy, the Gospel passage is read whilst Chaplaincy Reps go to their Houses – with bowl of water and towel in hand – and wash the feet of some students. We hope that these rituals express powerfully to those who have just joined the School, and, indeed, all of us, the implications of the Catholic Benedictine tradition which is at the heart of the School.

The Rosary Group

Dom Thomas writes:

Although going strong for some time, this term it was necessary to make a fresh start. I am pleased to say that we now have a new rosary group that meets in the Lady Chapel after night prayers on Fridays. Whilst other students are queuing to light candles before the statue of Our Lady, the revived Rosary Group takes up a corner of the Chapel and begins to recite the Rosary. The two activities happening together, for at least some time, can be quite moving as you can imagine.

The new group of students, from all year groups, recites the Rosary interspersed with relevant scripture passages and we each take our turn as we move around the group. I expect numbers to grow over the year as more students become emboldened to join in. The Rosary is new, to not a few of our students, and there is some initial nervousness. This is soon overcome as the group are so welcoming especially to those who are new to the Rosary.

Vigils of Prayer for Vocations

On the first Friday of each month, the boarders have been invited to join the monastic community for the beginning of their all-night vigil for vocations. Vocations to all aspects of life are prayed for as well as for

students to discern what their vocation is in life. There is also a special focus on praying for vocations to the priesthood and religious life particularly to our own monastery. Students join the monks in singing the office

of Compline and then share a silent time of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. It has become a very enriching time of prayer for our school and monastic community.

5Worth School Chaplaincy

'Let this text read you...'By Eamon Manning

Lectio Divina, a prayerful reading of scripture, has always been a central part of the life of Worth. This year sees its practice refreshed in School life.

Peace & Justice GroupDom Peter reports on the new and inspiring approach students are taking to Peace and Justice concerns.

I’m pleased to report that after a moving and inspiring talk from Alexander McLean from the African Prisons' Project, we have re-started our Peace and Justice group which now meets in the Chaplaincy every Wed lunchtime – 1:30pm.

We’ve decided to engage with the ‘Write for Rights’ Amnesty International letter-writing campaign and are also working to publicise the plight of Christians suffering in the Middle East. To this end the Carol Service will be used as a way to prayerfully show solidarity with those suffering and affected; of particular concern are the numbers of Christians affected by persecution and displacement in this region. The student leadership of this group has been very impressive with numbers exceeding all expectations coming each week.

Mornings of Ref lection

Mornings of reflection are a very important part of Chaplaincy work at Worth. Each academic year a whole year group is taken off timetable and given a day to reflect on issues that are important to them.

The morning comprises a num-ber of features; Lectio Divina, discussion, invited speakers, adoration of the Blessed Sacra-ment, midday prayer with the monks as well as just spending time together. Most days of

reflection occur at Worth, but Year 13, for the first time, ventured as far as Canterbury and Year 10 confirmandi will be invited to make a weekend retreat at Kintbury during the Lent Term.

At the beginning of term we spent a lot of time reflecting on how we help our students encounter Christ. Next to the Sacred Liturgy, the best place to meet him is, of course the Sacred Scriptures. Lectio is one of the most profound ways to encounter Christ in the scriptures and is, of course, embedded in the monastic (and our school) tradition.

We decided we wanted to put fresh heart into our practice of Lectio Divina at Worth and so we have prepared a way of doing

Lectio which is slightly different, more contemplative than the method used in the past; a way which seeks to make Lectio a real heart-to-heart with Christ. We have also had five simple teachings on Lectio read at School assembly and these will soon be published in a small booklet which will be available to sudents (and parents alike) in January.

Lectio is an experience of being read by the text rather than the other way around. Why not give it a go?

Catholicism? Wow!By Eamon Manning & Dom Peter

Based on feedback from parents, the Chaplains would like to propose an exciting initiative.

Coming up next term...It's an exciting and busy term ahead for the Chaplaincy! Keep an eye out for next term's key events which will be in your Lent Term calendars.

Parent SeminarsInspiring sessions on spirituality for busy parents. To book, email Dom Peter (pwilliams@worth.org.uk)

A Catholic parent, or indeed a parent of a child at a Catho-lic school, can sometimes feel like they are streets behind their kids when it comes to understanding the faith (or even some of the issues facing faith today). At a recent parents' seminar on Evangelisation in school, this frustration was el-oquently expressed by some of our parents and, music to a teacher's ears, they asserted that they want to know more!

We have hatched a plan to prepare and deliver six sessions in the Summer Term on Saturday mornings as an (re)intro-duction to the Catholic faith and a look at some issues fac-ing believers today. This will, hopefully, be taught by monks and Eamon from the Christian Theology department and will include morning coffee and a chance for discussion. It will not be unduly heavy and we will not set prep (as much as it goes against the teacherish instincts!). It will be an en-riching and enlivining course for all participants - previous knowledge not necessary!If you would be interested in finding out more, please email Eamon (emanning@worth.org.uk) for more details.

Next term is incredibly busy here at the School Chaplaincy. Not only are we launching Subiaco and revitalising how we do Lectio Divina, but all the usual work continues. Confirmation preparation begins for Year 10 and we have encouraged all Year 10s to think seriously about this crucial and life-giving step in faith.

We begin Lent at Worth in the traditional way, with Ash Wednesday and a real focus on some spiritual activity or sacrifice for the season. Please consider joining us at Worth for the culmination of this transformative season in the celebration of Holy Week beginning on Thursday 2nd April. More information on the Abbey website.

Don't forget about the Parent seminars which begin again in January.

Confirmation preparation will begin in the Lent term for Roman Catholic and for Anglican students at Worth.

Please have a conversation with your son or daughter about this important sacrament, encouraging them to take this important step in faith.

15 1501 0224 28Lectio Divina

Join Abbot Luke for a morning seminar looking at this prayerful

reading of scripture.11.00am to 12.30pm

MeditationJoin Fr Peter for this session on incorporating meditation into

your daily life.11.00am to 12.30pm

Good NewsThe Parents' Newsletter from

Worth School Chaplaincy

Worth School, Paddockhurst Road,Turners Hill, West Sussex, RH10 4SD

Tel. 01342 710200www.worthschool.co.uk

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