Our School Faith Development
As a Catholic school we see the spiritual development of each student as integral to their holistic education. We strive as a school community to live by the gospel values of love, compassion, forgiveness and justice.
Our school is enriched by the presence of a school chaplain who visits the school regularly. We gather as a school community to celebrate different liturgies throughout the year including an opening school year mass, Presentation day mass, confessions (Advent and Lent), November prayer service, graduation mass and mass on the first day of the state exams in June.
We encourage individual and class visits to the school’s prayer room, and we organise school retreats for each year group as well as the Alpha programme in Transition year. These provide opportunities for students to deepen their faith and relationship with God.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” This message of Jesus inspires a lot of what we do in Presentation; from our involvement in the Mitchelstown Faith camp, to helping at Lourdes, to the outreach programme we run with the local Cope Foundation, to the many fundraising initiatives we organise in the school. We strive to be Christ like in our actions and interactions.
“Be who you were created to be, and you will set the world on fire”
John Paul II Awards
The Pope John Paul II Awards is dedicated to the memory of the late Pope John Paul II whose love of young people was so profound. The Award is for anyone aged between 16 and 18 and living or going to school in a participating Diocese. The award enables students to become more actively involved in the life of their parish and community. The award is non-competitive, flexible and voluntary.
There are four Awards: The Papal Cross, Gold, Silver and Bronze. The Award is earned by taking part in activities through Parish Involvement and Social Awareness, and preparation of a short presentation.
The Diocese of Cloyne holds an award ceremony in October each year and everyone is presented with their medal and certificate in recognition of their huge achievement and colossal amount of hard work that they put into the award over the previous year.
Over 60% of the volunteers at the annual Mitchelstown Faith Camp are present or past students from Presentation Secondary school. Many of the volunteers have participated in the John Paul 11 Awards.
Challenge to Change
As a Presentation school we take part in the annual Challenge to Change programme which is a development education project organised by the Presentation order. It is aimed at young people attending Presentation schools across Ireland. The initiative seeks to raise awareness and understanding of development issues of global inequality through the exploration and engagement with issues such as injustice, human rights, Fairtrade, racism, exploitation etc.
Students are also encouraged to reach out to others by being actively involved in fund raising for charitable organisations and in issues of social justice.
Pilgrimage to Lourdes
Every three years students from our school travel with the Mitchelstown Carmelite group to Lourdes at the end of September, beginning of October. The students help the sick and those with physical and mental disabilities during their stay in Lourdes. It is an opportunity for them to put their faith into action by helping others and it also provides them with an opportunity to deepen their faith through personal prayer and communal prayer.
Outreach Programme
For the past number of years, students in Presentation have been involved in an outreach programme with our local Cope centre. The residents regularly visit religion class in the school and the students engage them in various activities. At different stages of the year (Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s day, Easter) the students organise a fun day for other Cope residents from different parts of Cork County. It is always a wonderful experience for all involved.
Charitable Involvement
Christmas shoe-box appeal
Donations of Christmas hampers to Penny Dinners
Santa grotto at the annual Christmas market in aid of St. Vincent de Paul
Fundraising for Hope foundation for Street Children in Calcutta, Chernobyl Children’s project, Cope Foundation, Marymount Hospice, MS Ireland
Participation in the Evening Echo Women’s mini marathon in aid of Temple Street Children’s Hospital
Coffee morning in aid of Breast Cancer Ireland
Faith Development Motto
As a Catholic school we strive to encourage students to grow to their full potential so they can become the wonderful people God intended them to be.