SMC Autumn Retreat 2024

We are JUSTICE and PEACE workers

Learn to do good, seek justice, rescue those with whom others treat badly, protect the little ones, stick up for those who cannot stick up for themselves (Isaiah 1:17)

For our retreat day this term we focused on being workers of justice and peace.
We remembered what happened during the summer when some people used those who are different to them as an excuse to be the worst they can be. We also focused on how in answer to that, others decided to show what being the best you can be looks like and how they showed that peace, justice, love, hope and friendship are far stronger, especially when we work for them together.

We focused on all those people around the world who are suffering because of other’s selfishness and greed. We asked, who will speak up for these people? Who will be a voice for the voiceless?

At St Margaret Clitherow’s School, we understand that making a difference takes good people – those who put others first, stand up for what is right and work for justice and peace. Throughout the retreat day, we looked at different ways we can be Jesus’ hands, feet, eyes and body.

We looked at where in the world people are not being treated with dignity and explored how we can be workers for justice and peace to help heal the world and its people.
We looked to people of justice and peace such as Pope Francis, St Oscar Romero, St Vincent de Paul, St Frances Cabrini and St Josephine Bakhita and we produced some beautiful artwork that reflected our studies.

We realised that all these people have Jesus in common. Jesus gives the ultimate example of how to work for justice and peace. When we follow his example and put others’ needs first by working for their dignity and the justice and peace of God, we truly live out our school motto, “Jesus is at the heart of everything we do.”

Jesus said: Blessed are the Peacemakers

Our EYFS children focused on the word peace. We talked about the word ‘peace’ and what this might look like. The children said that peace can be having quiet time and that peace is calm. We looked at symbols of peace including a dove, a rainbow and a pax cross. The children then created a beautiful display showing all the symbols of peace.

Year 1 explored the wonderful Creation of God’s world and how we have all been called to be stewards and take care of his creations. We talked about the letter from Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, which highlights the harm being caused to our world and how it is everyone’s responsibility to take care of our Common Home. Together, we created our display to show the damage being caused to our world, and ways that we can all help to take care of it.

Year 2 thought about how we are all brothers and sisters, and that no matter where we are in the world, we are all connected by our faith. We discussed what makes a good friend and the children listed ‘star qualities’ of a good friend. We then discussed how we can be a good friend to those near and far. We talked about Fratelli Tutti, the encyclical written by Pope Francis, and learnt a song about it. We danced to this song too. Each child painted themselves and their pictures went up on display in the corridor.

Year 3 explored the life of St Josephine Bakhita. She is the patron saint of Human Trafficking and Modern Day slavery and also of Sudan (where she was born). As a child, Josephine was kidnapped and enslaved. The children looked at her life and how she had the strength to carry on with dignity until she was eventually saved by an Italian family and ultimately the Catholic Canossian Sisters. Josephine was known for her charisma and gentleness and even expressed gratitude that her past horrors had brought her to her current life. The children looked at the wider issue of modern day slavery and fair pay for workers. We pledged to try and encourage our families to make Fair Trade choices where possible when grocery shopping for things, including chocolate and coffee.

Year 4 explored the life of Oscar Romero and his mission to speak up for the poor. The children explored the bravery of Oscar Romero and how he spoke up for the people of El Salvador even though the people in charge of the country told him to tax them. The children learned about how he stood in solidarity with his communities and lived a simple but rewarding life. We also looked at his legacy and how Oscar Romero crosses were created in his memory. The children created images of how we support our community and how we live in solidarity as a school and in our home lives.

Year 5 explored Catholic Social Justice: ‘Option for the Poor’. Inspired by the work and teachings of St Vincent De Paul, we looked at how we can all be Mini Vinnies, following their charitable motto of: ‘See, think, do’. The children created a display to show the variety of different ways we can be a Mini Vinnie, in the hope that we can inspire others to act when they see someone in need. Together, we created prayer cards for members of our parish as well as producing a suggestion box, which other pupils can access, so that we can help as many people in need as possible.

In Year 6 we focused on St Frances Xavier Cabrini who is the Patron Saint of Immigrants who helped those in need when they moved to America from Italy, to flee poverty. We learn that there is a difference between a migrant & refugee. A migrant is someone who chooses to move to another country. A refugee is someone who has to move to another country because they aren’t safe in their own country. During our Workers of Peace and Justice retreat day, we went on a journey to simulate the experiences of a refugee, thinking about the hard choices and material & spiritual losses they have.

We were so lucky to have a visit from an amazing lady called Ola who is a refugee. She is from Ukraine originally and spoke to us about her experience, journey and the tremendous sacrifices she has had to make. She is such a strong lady; she spoke to us about the impact of the solidarity and welcome she felt since coming to Middlesbrough. The children asked some profound and reflective questions.

Throughout the day we reflected on how St Frances Cabrini can inspire us all to be a worker of peace and justice. When she was younger, she made paper boats and filled them with flowers to symbolise sending out missionaries. We have made boats filled with words that remind us that we too can be a missionary and we have a choice to stand in solidarity with all of our brothers and sisters.