Liturgy

It is so important that prayer happens in the world, every day and every night. Every time you pray you add to the light and harmony of creation. If you do not pray, if you do not believe in prayer, then you are living off the prayers of other people. Each day when we wake and each night when we gather ourselves in sleep, we should gently send the light of prayer from our hearts. It is important that some light of prayer emanates from each individual.

There is a vibrant community of prayer at Loreto Normanhurst. It is one of the defining characteristics of this very special place. In so many ways  …  the contemplative stillness of our midday silence, the weekly early morning celebrations of the Eucharist and Friday Communion Services, the Sunday evening Boarder Eucharist, Thursday tutor group prayer, House liturgies, liturgies to mark many occasions and to bring every celebration in our school year into a context of prayer, our prayer together at assemblies and prayer in the classroom … Loreto girls are invited to become young women of prayer. They are immersed in an enlivening liturgical rhythm and are encouraged to make prayer the source and context of all they do. 

My soul opens before you, O God Believing, as we do, that intimacy with God is the source and summit of all that we are and do, we celebrate liturgically the many significant moments in our community’s life. As our year unfolds, we move through the seasons of the liturgical cycle, telling our human story in the light of God’s self-giving to us.

There is also a daily and weekly rhythm of prayer and liturgical celebration.

Each day at midday the sound of a gong gently invites us all into a minute of silence which ends with a short reading from the Scripture for that day. In this way we continue an old tradition of simply pausing, allowing God to enter our awareness at the peak of our day, no matter where we are or what we may be doing.

On Thursdays during tutor time students and staff pray together and share their needs, joys and longings.

On Friday mornings there is a Communion Service which is led by Year 12 Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and which is a deeply contemplative space, a wonderful way to end the week.  On Wednesday mornings we celebrate the Eucharist with our school chaplain. Both these liturgies begin at 8:00am and are in the school chapel.  Participation is voluntary; the Communion Service begins at 8:00am and is in the school chapel.  Parents and families are most welcome to attend. The Sunday night Eucharist celebrated by the Boarding community is a beautiful weekly gathering and is very much at the heart of Loreto boarding life.

These weekly gatherings in prayer are not only a time to celebrate our Christian faith and know the touch of God but they are also a profound place of prayer on behalf of the entire school community.