St. Joseph's Year 14

We got our year off to a great start here in the Pastoral Centre with the year 14 student's from St. Joseph's on the Ravenhill Road in Belfast.  The theme of our day was reflecting on the past and what it teaches us about the person we are now and how it shapes our future.  We were also thinking and talking about God and how or whether our faith has shaped us.

One of the things that came up on both days was the importance of our friendships. We all lean on our friends at various times in our lives and Year 14 is one of those times, because so much is going on, both academically and within each student, as they turn their minds towards moving on from school along many different pathways, into adulthood.

With these thoughts in mind, some of the student's wrote these beautiful prayers and reflections to read during our prayer service.

Dear Lord,
We've gathered to give thanks for Your great kindness which let us be together as friends.
You give us an opportunity to help and support one another last year and this year.
Help us to stay in this great harmony and continue to rely on each other as we do now.
We're thankful for the good start to the year and we pray for guidance to settle down and motivation to get through this hard year, with our friendship as strong as before.
Lord hear us...

Lord,
We thank You for giving us great people in our lives, friends and family.  Thank You for giving us education and the knowledge and courage that we needed. We thank You for the teachers who helped  and supported us and for our classmates.  Lord please help us through our last year in St. Joseph's.
Lord hear us...

Lord,
Thank You for life.  Thank You for always being there for us, especially in times of hardship.  Lord, please give us knowledge and wisdom for studying.  Help us to get good grades at the end of the school year and help us to become successful in our own lives.
Lord hear us...

Dear Lord,
We thank You for today. Thank You for letting us experience this wonderful activity. Thank You for making us realise our shortcomings in the past and forgive us for them.  With the understanding that we have gained earlier we also thank You for leading us to where we are today.  Thank You for all the blessings and graces You have bestowed on us.  May You continue to be a beacon of light that will guide us on the right path.
Lord hear us...

Dear God,
Bless the sick. Give them strength in the times of difficulty and keep them in Your care.
Everlasting Lord, hear us...

Dear God,
Pray for those who are in need.  Bless the souls of those tragically lost in the recent Pakistan floods. By praying for the needy we can show friendship towards them in the way we have shown each other today.
Lord hear us...

Dear God,
Can You bless and take care of everyone and everything.
Lord hear us...

 As you will read below the reflections were very personal and heartfelt...

Well lads, what can I say, you really are a fabulous bunch of people. Today I've learnt a lot about myself and others. As cheesy as all this sounds, these past seven years have been amazing:)  I really do feel privileged to have met such incredible people from all walks of life and it really has been a joy.

This year will be a challenge to us all, but what I've learnt from today is that we are all here for each other and together we can do anything.  You really are such a remarkable bunch of people and even though I know you all in different ways and to different extents, you really have made my school days the best of my life.

I've had a really wonderful day and I look forward to reading my book.  I would like to thank you all for making this day extra special. Today has made me think about a lot of things in my life!  I would like to thank all of you for making the past six years of my life enjoyable and memorable. Thank you for the memories.  I would like to thank Margaret, Caren, Michelle and Padraig for a really great day. It will be an experience that I'll always remember.

I had a very good day today, it was a chance for me to reflect on the past and think about the future. Just wanna say thanks to everyone for making the past four years.  It was the best choice my mum ever made forcing me to move to this school.  I feel so blessed to have met all of you and to have had this special day with you.  Thank you for making the best days of my life. Good luck in the future.

The focus below shows a heart to represent love with the letters F and S written beneath it, to represent friendship.

This focus shows a star of friendship. The different coloured cloths represent all the different personalities and nationalities within the group. The heart was made out of colours which represent the school colours and there were 17 candles lit, one for each member of the group.

We would like to thank the year 14 students for their great enthusiasm and we wish them very blessing as they journey into pastures new.