Paternoster galleries in schools

Head teachers, diocesan education teams, RE support staff, chaplains, and parish clergy in the UK have welcomed a simple suggestion from a parishioner - WhoArtful Galleries. It's one which may also appeal in many other countries around the world.

Hugh Gibbons' idea is for schools to collect and display The Lord's Prayer in the languages found among pupils and staff, families and relatives, and local parishioners. These would be a celebration of their unique cultural diversity and community collaboration. Around Pentecost is suggested as a first aiming point - perhaps for sharing the languages in assemblies, or on-screen, or parish Masses.

All the information is at: www.just1.org.uk/whoartful. This includes a simple briefing PDF for an easy read on-screen or page.

There's also a link to the origin of the idea - Hugh's own Paternoster Gallery of 20+ languages: https://happylandings.org/just1/Paternoster%20Gallery%20Guide%202024.pdf

For Catholic schools these Galleries would also be an example of their action by consensus for their bishops to feed into the second session of the Synod in Rome in October. "In a Church that is living synodally, different cultures, languages, rites, ways of thinking, and realities can engage together and fruitfully in a sincere search for the Spirit's guidance", said the Synodal Church in Mission Synthesis Report from Rome in October 2023.

The director of RE support in a diocese with 150+ schools commented: "I really love the idea of Applied Synodality for schools". Head teachers, education teams, chaplains and parish and diocesan clergy have also encouraged the idea.

The Synthesis Report also pointed out that "There can be no synodality without an ecumenical dimension." So Hugh is suggesting that Catholic schools might like to invite other local church schools to join in - and for staff to spread the word to their counterparts and contacts elsewhere in this country and beyond. One CofE bishop has already given a warm response to the idea for the 100+ schools in her diocese, and the lead for chaplaincy in another described it was "wonderful."

There's no registration or formality in taking part; though schools may like to let Hugh how they're getting on at hughgibbons@just1.org.uk