Our Lady Pray for us. Saint Benedict Pray for us.

Here at Our Lady & St Benedict we live out our school mission statement each and everyday. 

One of our patrons, St Benedict, prepared to live through a new experience and understood the skills of his time. He is the Patron Saint of students. We hope to live like him and strive to be the best we can be.  

 

                                                                                                                                        

 

School Context 

 

Here at Our Lady and St Benedict we provide opportunities for every member of our community to strengthen their spiritual relationship, belief and faith in Christ and one another. Through our daily prayer, worship and liturgy we learn to live, love and learn with one another based upon the Gospel Values.  Every person in our academy family matters and are entitled to equality of opportunity. We recognise and celebrate each individual’s unique God-given talents and through an excellent and nurturing Catholic education we aim to ensure everyone can achieve their full potential and come ever closer to understanding their vocation. 

 

Information about our Patron Saints: Our Lady of Hulton and Saint Benedict 

 Our Lady of Hulton

 

Our Lady, Mary the mother of God is our first patron - as she was for the monks of the 13th century at Hulton Abbey, sited close to our school.  Mary’s heart was full of love and always open to God to whom she always said yes.  In all her actions she exemplifies the mission of the Church.  She loved, supported and displayed her faith in her son Jesus throughout his ministry on earth.  

Mary is a true example of a steward of God’s love and our guide and support on our own spiritual journey.  She dedicated her life to the mission of the church and her faith.  Faith and love are at the heart of Our Lady and Saint Benedict.  Our children understand that our thoughts, words and actions reflect our core values – that we should ‘love one another as I have loved you’.  The love and support Mary gave to Jesus is the love and support that we demonstrate in our academy family - nurturing, caring and protecting all the children in our care so that they feel happy, loved, safe and secure and are able to learn and thrive.  We reflect and remember Mary’s selflessness throughout her life and encourage this in our children as they become ambassadors for our academy and as they take their future place within God’s world.    

 

Saint Benedict 

 

St. Benedict is believed to have been born around 480, as the son to a Roman noble of Norcia and the twin to his sister, Scholastica.  In the fifth century, the young Benedict was sent to Rome to finish his education.  Benedict watched in horror as his fellow scholars let their lives and ethics unravel in the pursuit of pleasure. He fled Rome, gave up his inheritance and lived in a small village.  When God called him beyond this quiet life to an even deeper solitude, he went to the mountains of Subiaco.  

 

After years of prayer, word of his holiness brought nearby monks to ask for his leadership. He warned them he would be too strict for them, but they insisted.   The story goes, the monks attempted to poison Benedict's drink when his warning proved true, but when he prayed a blessing over the cup - it shattered saving him from the poison. 

Benedict went on to form twelve monasteries in Subiaco where monks lived in separate communities of twelve. 

Later, he founded the monastery that became the roots of the Church's monastic system.  Rather than founding small separate communities he gathered his disciples into one whole community.  No one had ever set up communities like his before or directed them with a rule.  Benedict’s beliefs and instructions on religious life were collected in what is now known as the Rule of Saint Benedict. 

 ‘Let them prefer nothing whatever to Christ.  And may He bring us all together to everlasting life.’ 

Rule of Saint Benedict 

Saint Benedict dedicated his life to living the word of the Lord.  He was innovative, determined, hard working and dedicated to his mission; the qualities that we want to instil in the lives of our academy community.  We look to Saint Benedict to help us nurture our God given gifts and talents, to enable us to fulfil our true vocation and become disciples of the Lord.  Our school mission statement ‘Loving, Learning and looking forward with Christ’ reflects on our values that everything we do should be centered around Christ; just as Benedict did. 

 

As a Catholic school, Jesus Christ remains central to every aspect of school life. All pupils are educated in the beliefs and devotional practices of the Catholic church. Participation in the daily collective act of worship remains at the helm of every morning and afternoon session, within RE lessons and at the end of each day. Every class prepares and leads Mass throughout the year, with parents, families and parishioners warmly welcomed.