1. Opening Liturgy 11 October 2012
For the Primary Schools in the
Archdiocese of Birmingham
Please read through all the slides and notes before leading your act of Collective Worship.
You will need strips of card and marker pens or a flip chart
Create a prayer focus: Use the signs and symbols of Baptism e.g. white garment to represent Baptism, Paschal Candle, bowl of Holy Water
Have a Baptismal candle for every class and a Year of Faith logo (available in 12 languages).
As the children enter you might play the CJM hymn ‘Who do you say I am’ or some other appropriate music.
NB. Please delete the final slide if you are not singing the Year of Faith hymn.

2. The Sign of the Cross The Morning Offering
We Gather
The Sign of the Cross The Morning Offering
Invite everybody to spend a few moments in silence. Ask the children to close their eyes and focus upon their breathing and to be still and ready to pray.
Begin by lighting the candle at the prayer focus and making the Sign of the Cross together. Say the Morning prayer with which the children are familiar. Remind the children that in this prayer we offer to God our Father everything we think, do and say during the day as an act of praise and a gift to Him.

3. A reading from the Gospel according to St. Mark Chapter 8: 27-29
We Listen
A reading from the Gospel according to St. Mark Chapter 8: 27-29
Glory to you,
O Lord.
Before the Gospel reading ask the children to listen carefully so that they can answer the question: who does Peter say Jesus is?
Sing the Alleluia to greet the Gospel and say all the responses before and after the Gospel.
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you Lord, Jesus Christ.

4. Jesus asked his disciples “Who do you say
We Listen
Jesus asked his disciples “Who do you say
I am?”
Ask the children what would they say in answer to this question.
You could write their answers down discussing what they mean.
Explain to the children that this was a very important moment for Simon Peter. By saying to Jesus that he was the Christ, Simon Peter was professing his faith that Jesus really was the Messiah, the one the people had been waiting for to come. It was only after Jesus died on the cross, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and when he received the Holy Spirit that Simon Peter came to the complete truth that Jesus was the Son of God.
Now it was Simon Peter’s job to lead the people of God on earth. He was to be the rock on which the Church, God’s People was going to be built. Do you know what the name Peter means? It means “Rock” Jesus wanted to use Peter’s faith to make everybody strong! Peter and the apostles spent the rest of their lives helping people to learn about and come to know God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The apostles became great witnesses to Jesus and told everybody of their faith. hey wanted God’s People to come to know God through Jesus his Son. They wanted the people to pray, to learn about God and to witness by their lives to faith in God which they received.

5. We Listen Year of Faith Pope Benedict XVI
St. Peter went on to become the first Pope and now his successor Pope Benedict has been thinking about this question “Who do you say I am?” Pope Benedict wants the people of our world and our Church to come to know Jesus better.
He has asked Catholics all over the world to keep a Year of Faith. Pope Benedict wants us to learn more about the Church: what it teaches us and what we believe; he wants us to pray more using the Scriptures to help us; he wants us to live lives of faith and to profess our faith whenever we can: not just in our schools and parishes but in all the different places that we go and to all the different people that we meet.

6. Year of Faith Facts Starts 11 Oct 2012 Ends 24 Oct 2013 = 410 days
We Listen
Year of Faith Facts
Starts 11 Oct 2012
Ends 24 Oct 2013
= 410 days
During this year of faith we are going to LIVE LEARN and PROFESS our Catholic Faith.
In our school, in our parishes and in our families we will develop this more over the coming days, weeks and months.

7. The Year of Faith logo has four different parts.
We Learn
The Year of Faith logo has four different parts.
Can you see them?
Note to teacher: over the next few slides we are going to look at the elements which make up the logo and what they represent.
What each element represents will be revealed by clicking on.

8. We Learn The Boat The Church
Ask the children what they think the boat represents.
The text ‘The Church’ will appear when clicked.
Why do you think the boat is a symbol for the Church?
Explain to the children that the Church is God’s people who gather together to meet Jesus. We meet him in the Words of Scripture, in the Sacraments and in each other. Together we journey in faith as God’s People.

9. We Learn The Mast The Crucifix The Crucifix
When you see the Crucifix what does it make you think about?
The Crucifix reminds us that through his death and resurrection Jesus became our Saviour.

10. We Learn
The Sail
Jesus
The letters are Greek IHS are the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek.
How do we get to know Jesus? Can you think of three ways we can get to know him?
By getting to know Jesus we can come to know God our Father, because Jesus is God’s Son. When we listen to the Word of God in the Scriptures, when we pray, when we go to Mass or celebrate the other Sacraments we get to know Jesus better. Our friendship with Jesus and our faith can grow.

11. We Learn The Sun The Eucharist The Sun What does the sun do for us?
What would life be like without the sun?
The greatest gift Jesus has given us is the Eucharist. This is Jesus giving us himself to be our food and drink. At Mass we celebrate the sacrifice of Jesus and we meet Jesus, our risen Lord, who offers us peace and friendship. Every time we celebrate Mass our faith and friendship with Jesus Christ can grow within us.

12. Archbishop Bernard Longley
We Respond
In our Diocese the Year of Faith is being launched at a special Mass at St. Chad’s Cathedral on Sunday 14 October where two representatives from every parish will attend to pick up a Year of Faith pack for the parish/school. Archbishop Bernard cannot be there as he is on Rome with the Holy Father so he has asked Bishop David to celebrate the Mass on his behalf.
Archbishop Bernard Longley
Bishop David McGough

13. We Respond
In the pack there is a prayer card for every child from Year 3 upwards.
Archbishop Bernard has asked that we should pray the Apostles Creed every day during the Year of Faith. This will help us to get know our faith better and to live our faith everyday.
Can you see the Diocesan coat of arms on the prayer card? This reminds us that everybody in our diocese is sharing in the Year of Faith.
Does anybody know who the man is on the prayer card?
This man is Blessed Dominic Barberi. He is someone who Archbishop Bernard prays to every day. Blessed Dominic Barberi was a priest who lived in our diocese over 150 years ago. He wanted the people in the parishes that he worked as a priest to come to know Jesus Christ and to grow in faith. Blessed Dominic helped someone on their journey of faith. Ask the children if they can remember the person who Pope Benedict beatified when he came to Birmingham two years ago. (Blessed John Henry Newman).

14. Prayers of Intercession
We pray that the Year of Faith will help to build and strengthen the Church throughout the world.
This is our Faith. This is the Faith of the Church.
R: We are proud to profess it,
in Christ Jesus Our Lord.

15. Prayers of Intercession
We pray for those who are spreading the Good News to all corners of the earth. May Jesus’ message of love and peace be received with joy.
This is our Faith. This is the Faith of the Church.

16. Prayers of Intercession
We pray that the Year of Faith will help our school, our parish and our families to grow in the faith we live, learn and profess .
This is our Faith. This is the Faith of the Church.

17. Prayers of Intercession
Let us ask Our Lady,
Blessed Dominic and all
the Saints to pray for us
on our journey of faith.
Hail Mary…

18. The logo in each language is revealed by clicking on.
Before singing the final hymn remind the children that it is not just your school praying today at the start of this great year: it is not just people in the Birmingham Diocese; Catholics all over the world are united together as they journey through this Year of Faith.
Present each class with a Baptismal candle which remind us that Baptism is the first step of the journey of faith and a copy of the logo. Both of these can be placed on the prayer table in the classroom.

19. We Go Forth
Trust in the Lord with all your heart There’s no need to be afraid Yes you can make a brand new start By living a life of faith This is the year of faith A time to trust and hope in God This is a time for everyone We open our hearts to the Lord We enter through the door of faith And raise up a song of praise ©Alex Heath 2012
This is the year of faith
A time to trust and hope in God
This is a time for everyone
We open our hearts to the Lord
We enter through the door of faith
And raise up a song of praise
Jesus you came to give us life
Your presence is always here
Your Spirit deep within our hearts
Will free us from every fear
Sing together the Year of Faith hymn.
Please delete this slide if you are not using this hymn.