Faith in Jesus Christ and the teachings of His Church are at the heart of our school community as we work, learn, grow, pray and live our mission together. We take great pride in the name of our school, Corpus Christi Catholic College. Because Corpus Christi means the Body of Christ, everything we express of our faith is rooted in the belief of the real presence of Jesus in our school – in the Blessed Sacrament, in the Word of God and in each other.
Forming the Body of Christ: Chaplaincy Groups
Amidst his many followers, Jesus gathered a small group of disciples around Him to be His close friends and to help Him with His mission.
Each year group in the college has a Chaplaincy Team made up of two representatives from each form. The Chaplaincy Teams are volunteers who want to know more about their faith and who want to serve the college community in a particular way by sharing their faith. Chaplaincy Teams meet, with a staff member to guide them, on a weekly basis and are involved in a variety of initiatives throughout the college aimed to support the Catholic ethos.
Discovering the Beauty of the Body of Christ: Evangelisation and Catechesis
Our aim as a Catholic community is to ensure that each person knows that they are loved and are valued whoever they are and whatever their experience of life has been.
As Catholics, we believe that we are first and foremost by God who reveals His love through the life and teachings of His Son, Jesus Christ.
The chapel, centrally located in the school, provides a peaceful place for staff and students to reflect and have some quiet time.
Conscious that not all staff and students are familiar with the faith and practices of the Catholic Church, every effort is made to ensure no one feels excluded from our college community. New staff are given an initial induction and resources to help them fulfil their role of supporting the Catholic ethos in school. For staff, both Catholic and non-Catholic, wishing to explore the Catholic faith, the “Catholic Foundation Stones” is run within school.
Nourishing the Body of Christ: Worship
Praying the Sign of the Cross at regular intervals throughout the day, particularly at the beginning and end of lessons focus our time in school on learning and growing in the context of faith.
Form time, year group and whole school assemblies, focussing on the Word of God, provide the time and space for prayer. Both staff and students are encouraged to take a lead in preparing and facilitating traditional and creative prayer times.
Each year group gathers together to prepare and celebrate Mass. Mass is also celebrated regularly in school for those who wish to attend. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for adoration is held weekly in the chapel.
At regular intervals throughout the year staff and students can celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation in school.
Refreshing the Body of Christ: Retreats and Pilgrimages
We have a very active role in our diocese and have worked hard to forge links with the community and with our parish communities. We work closely with the Leeds Diocesan Youth Service to offer a range of out of school activities to allow the students to develop spiritually.
Each student has several opportunities in their college life to take part in day or residential retreats at a variety of local and national venues. These retreats provide a great opportunity for the students to develop their faith in a fun and inspiring way.
Staff are also given several opportunities for reflection and retreat over the course of the academic year.
Reaching out to the Body of Christ: Fundraising
The whole college community is encouraged to think of the needs of others both locally and abroad. There are several different fundraising events during the year. In Lent the whole college concentrates its efforts raising a considerable amount of money for charitable projects in the Good Shepherd Appeal. Particular charities that we support include our link school in Issenye (Tanzania), HCPT and Catholic Care.
