St James School and St James the Apostle Parish share the same patron saint and the same grounds. Being in close proximity to the church, parish hall and presbytery brings many benefits. We get to see Fr Brian and Parishioners frequently and we have access for visits to the Church for prayer, Masses, Liturgies and quiet times. We use the Parish Hall for Sacrament celebrations and it is a large convenient space for performances, drama lessons and inside PE lessons.
Our Parish Priest, Fr Brian Mathews has a special place in our school. He enjoys working with class teachers and students to prepare Masses, he works with us and families preparing students to receive the Sacraments and generally supports us in all that we do.
The Sacramental program is run at the school; the lessons are taught as part of our classroom Religious Education programme, however it is very much a parish celebration: Reconciliation (Year 3), First Communion (Year 4) and Confirmation (Year 6/7 even years).
A Family Mass is held once a term on a Sunday morning, these are advertised in our school Newsletter. Children are encouraged to attend and participate in roles in the Mass such as welcoming, reading, altar serving, offertory procession and Gospel procession.
We love being so close to our parish, and so much a part of our parish.
When students leave St James School we love to keep a connection with them especially through our Parish. We want them to feel welcome and continue their relationship with God. As well as support from their family and Parish, we have visits (2-3 times a term) from Sr Kerry Keenan (Sister of St Joseph). Sr Kerry runs the YCS group which is a time for secondary students to meet, enjoy each others’ company and share and develop their faith.
