Liturgy is public worship together by a group of people. In Beaulieu, all of our liturgical gatherings are rooted in the notion of ‘Listen and Respond’ - God speaks and we respond. 

1) We gather together.

2) God’s Word in the Scriptures is proclaimed and explored.

3) We respond as a community, by praise, thanksgiving, or sorrow, and by acknowledging our need to change, or by prayer for others or ourselves.

4) Mission: We return from prayer to everyday life to live lives of love and service.

Liturgical gatherings are places where the Beaulieu community remembers who it is, its deepest identity in God as a community called to love and serve. We strengthen ourselves by the graces received in the gathering, so that Beaulieu can then go out to live our identity of love more fully in the world.

The focus of such a celebration is a proclamation of the Scriptures and the response of the Beaulieu community.  The basics may involve a few moments of gathering to centre minds and hearts, a short reading, a time of silent or guided reflection, and an invitation to move back to the ordinary, everyday life, in the hope that what has been reflected upon will bear fruit. Hymns or music are often used at the beginning and/or end.

Often, the Scriptures proclaimed will be taken from the liturgical calendar of the wider Church.  In the event that clergy are unavailable to celebrate Mass for certain feasts e.g. Epiphany, Ascension, it is possible that a Celebration of the Word will be celebrated.  The Chaplain is responsible for organising the presider. The students are often the ones who take responsibility for the planning and delivery of the Celebration of the Word.

The proclamation of the Word of God is central to all celebrations.  Whenever Beaulieu gathers, either as the whole community or in year groups or other smaller groups for an assembly, prayer should always be included. Of course, assemblies often have a number of different purposes, and it is often useful to distinguish between an assembly where the focus is wholly prayer (and will be called a Celebration of the Word) and one that deals with other school matters. Whenever pupils gather in Beaulieu, however, it is our custom to locate that gathering/assembly in a context of prayer.

There is one whole-school Celebration of the Word each week, so there is a greater need to highlight the need to pray in that weekly coming together.  Depending on the specific theme of the Celebration of the Word, a suitable piece of Scripture will be selected to introduce the gathering, such that the Celebration of the Word takes on more of a business theme.  The Lectionary (i.e. reading used at Mass), the liturgical calendar and other Church resources will be used to inform the planning of weekly gatherings - the Church has a long tradition of seeking semina Verbi (seeds of Christ’s Word in secular contexts) as she dialogues with all people of goodwill in an attempt to build up the common good.

Masses are booked through the school year with the parish office of the Catholic Church in Jersey. Whole-school Masses usually take place either in Saint Mary and Saint Peter’s Church or in Saint Thomas’ Church.  Smaller-group Masses could take place in the Beaulieu chapel, dependent on numbers. Typical days on which Mass is celebrated are:

●       New Beginnings Mass: the start of the new school year, within the first two weeks of starting in September.

●       All Saints, Solemnity and Holy Day of Obligation: 1st November

●       Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, School Feast Day: 8th December

●       Solemnity of the Epiphany: 6th January

●       Ash Wednesday:

●       Solemnity of the Ascension: May

●       Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul: 29th June

Whole-school Morning Prayer is prepared by students (linked to the Daily Mass Readings of the wider Church) and prayed in each registration group as a way of Beaulieu consciously placing itself in God’s omnipresence and seeking the graces required for the day.

Grace before lunch is prayed in gratitude for all God’s graces, in intercession on behalf of all who are in need, and as a daily reminder that we have the duty to work on behalf of the needy.

The Beaulieu Prayer is prayed at the end of the school day as a way of reminding ourselves where Beaulieu has come from, linking us with our founding charism and our Sisters, and seeking grace to love and serve others, especially those most in need:

Father, pour your Spirit into our hearts, that we may learn alongside the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception that our call in this life is toute de charité, all about love.  May your love inspire all that Beaulieu is and does, that we may serve our sisters and brothers, especially those most in need, for the glory of your name. Through Christ our Lord. Amen

The school chapel is open and available at all times for the use of individuals and groups. 

During this year's activities week, Mr. McAllister and Dr. Rowan led a walking tour of churches of the island called "Life is Complex but Beautiful: Sacred Spaces and Wisdom for the Journey". 

Retreat and Reflection Days at Beaulieu:

• A topic, person, event, or location is explored and students and staff are encouraged to make connections with their own thoughts, values and experiences.

• Relationships with peers and staff are built up through laughter, fun, deep discussion and team-building activities.

• Some activities serve the common good such as a beach clean-up.

• Artistic or journaling activities to provide ways of expressing thoughts, feelings and learning.

• Quiet time, mindfulness, prayer, Celebrations of the Word rooted in the richness of the Catholic (and other) Christian traditions.