What is Mission Week?

As a community which is “rooted in faith”, each year we come together for a week-long celebration of our Catholic ethos. Through special times of prayer, workshops, talks and activities, we are renewed in the Salesian spirituality which animates our mission. Mission Week takes place in the last week in January, to incorporate the feast day of our patron saint and founder of the Salesian congregation, St John Bosco (31st January).

Over the years we have had many themes including:

Dare to Dream (2024)
In the 200th anniversary year of Don Bosco’s dream at 9, we were challenged to reflect on what our dream is for our own lives.

Remembering the words of Jesus to the young John Bosco, “You will not win these over with violence, but with loving kindness”, we heard the powerful testimony of John Pridmore. This former East End Enforcer turned evangelist visits students to tell of his remarkable conversion. The reformed Gangster, who nearly killed a man outside a London nightclub only to impress an underworld boss who was there . That was 20 years ago and he decided to use his experiences to help young people by showing them an alternative path to violence and using their gifts to help other.

The liturgy concluded with a time of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, as we brought Mission Week 2024 to an end in silent prayer, as one faith community. The week was a real success, and most importantly, provided an opportunity for all members of the school community to ask: God, what is your dream for my life?

Growing Together in God’s Love (2023)
In 2022 we decided to return to our ‘roots’ and explore our school Mission Statement in detail. The values at the heart of our mission set the theme for the week - compassion, forgiveness, service and gratitude. A specially created willow tree sculpture provided a powerful focal point for the week, symbolising the effect of growing together. In our closing liturgies, the Mizen Family returned to school to share their witness of forgiveness and compassion, as they shared their moving story of the tragic death of their son, Jimmy. Following this Mission Week, our school has adopted a new motto - Growing together, rooted in faith.

Rebuild with Hope (2021)
As we continued to recover from the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic, this year’s Mission Week focussed on the theme of hope. In a change from previous years, this Mission Week took place around the feast of St John Bosco, and, like much of our prayer and liturgy that year, took place mainly online. It was extremely moving to see our school community come together so strongly despite our physical distance!

Click here to relive our virtual Mission Week!

Be Extraordinary (2019)
“We know we were made for so much more than ordinary lives. It’s time for us to more than just survive - we were made to thrive!”

These words of the Mission Week anthem filled the corridors around school this Mission Week as we explored how each of us is called by God to “be extraordinary”. Internationally renowned speaker and evangelist Katie Prejean visited school to speak to us about what happens to our lives when we put faith in God at the centre. 

Make God’s Love Visible (2018)
In the year we celebrated the National Eucharistic Congress, our Mission Week focused on the visible love of God in the world around us. The highlight of the week was the closing liturgy, when we heard testimony from students and staff who were involved in the Tanzania project, who spoke movingly about the visible impact of their work to bring hope to others. The week concluded with the whole school gathered in a time of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament - a powerful witness to our shared faith as a school community. 

Come to the Water (2017)

This Mission Week challenged us as a faith community to respond to the suffering of our brothers and sisters around the world who leave their homes in search for a safer life. A powerful drama telling the stories of refugees launched the week, and we reflected on the words of Pope Francis: “Migrants and refugees are brothers and sisters to be welcomed, respected and loved.”