Prayer and Liturgy at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Primary School

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Matthew 18:20

Our Lady Queen of Martyrs is a place where people of all faiths and beliefs can encounter God. We believe that Christian worship in our school is concerned with giving glory, honour, praise and thanks to God. It is our loving response, in word and action, to God’s invitation to enter into relationship with Him, made possible through the work of His son Jesus and His Holy Spirit

Prayer and liturgy are integral to our school life. They are the ways in which we come together as a family of faith to give praise and thanks to God, to listen to His Word, and to celebrate His presence among us. Through prayer, reflection, and worship, our children grow in their relationship with God and learn to recognise His love in their daily lives.

A Life of Prayer

Prayer is central to everything we do. It shapes our day, our decisions, and our relationships with one another.
We pray together in many different ways:

• Daily prayer in class at the beginning and end of the day, and before and after lunch.

• Traditional prayers of the Church, which help children to develop a shared Catholic identity and sense of belonging.

• Spontaneous and reflective prayer, encouraging children to speak and listen to God in their own words.

• Creative prayer, where children offer up prayers to God through art, music, movement, writing, and nature. These moments invite children to use their God-given imagination and creativity to connect with Him in a way that is joyful and deeply personal.

• Meditative prayer and quiet moments of stillness, giving children the opportunity to encounter God in the silence of their hearts.

Through these moments of prayer, our pupils come to see that prayer is not something separate from life, but a natural and joyful conversation with God that continues beyond the classroom.

Celebrating Liturgy Together

Liturgy is our shared act of worship. It is how we celebrate the presence of Christ within our school community.
We gather regularly for:

• Whole school liturgies and Masses, celebrating the seasons of the Church year and important feast days.

• Whole school Celebrations of the Word, focusing on the Gospel of the Week on a Monday, and celebrating the week on a Friday with our ‘Living our Mission’ assembly.

• Class and year group liturgies, led by pupils and staff, focusing in on a ‘Statement to Live By’ and choosing words from Scripture, songs and prayers that fit alongside the theme.

Children are encouraged to take an active role in planning and leading these celebrations — writing prayers, reading Scripture, and preparing the sacred space. In this way, they grow in confidence and understanding of the richness of our Catholic tradition.

The Liturgical Year

Our prayer and worship follow the Liturgical Year, marking special times such as Advent, Christmas, Lent, Holy Week, and Easter, as well as the feasts of Our Lady and the Saints. These celebrations help our pupils to experience the rhythm of the Church’s life and to reflect on how the mysteries of faith are lived out each day.