Growing In Faith Together: Our G.I.F.T. Team

"We cannot grow up by ourselves; rather, we journey and grow in a community, in a family."  Pope Francis

Welcome to the GIFT Team - Growing in Faith Together

At Christ the King RC Primary School, the GIFT Team plays a vital role in supporting and enriching the Catholic Life and Mission of our school community. As members of this dedicated team, pupils actively contribute to nurturing the spiritual growth of the school by assisting in the development and delivery of our prayer life.

The GIFT Team supports a wide range of activities including prayer and liturgy, assemblies, collective worship, class prayer times, and prayer groups. Their involvement ensures that prayer remains a meaningful and integral part of daily school life.

Additionally, the GIFT Team members serve as warm and welcoming ambassadors during special events throughout the school year, helping to foster a strong sense of community and belonging for all pupils, staff, and visitors.

Through their commitment and leadership, the GIFT Team helps to bring the teachings of Jesus Christ to life within our school, inspiring others to grow in faith, hope, and love.

Visiting the Relics of Saint Carlo Acutis 

Some members of the GIFT Team were invited by Salford Diocese, to visit St. Patrick's church this afternoon, for a special Celebration of the Word in the presence of the relics of St. Carlo Acutis. The pupils had the opportunity to hear about the life of St. Carlo and were inspired by his story. They also wrote prayer intentions, including for our school and parish community. These will be taken to the tomb of St. Carlo Acutis in Assisi.

Born in 1991, Carlo is the first millennial saint and he is celebrated for his profound faith and use of the internet to log Eucharistic miracles from around the world. At just 7 years old, he wished to receive his First Holy Communion and told his parents, “this is my programme of life.”

Alongside his digital Evangelism, Carlo is revered for his charitable work and great desire to help others. He gave his time towards helping those experiencing homelessness and hunger in Milan, even purchasing sleeping bags and food for them using his own money.

Carlo was passionate about spreading the teachings of the Catholic Church up until his death from leukaemia at the age of 15.

On 7 September 2025 Carlo was proclaimed a Saint in St. Peter's in Rome by Pope Leo XIV.

Jubilee Year Prayer Trail

The Christ the King GIFT Team recently had a wonderful opportunity to join pupils from neighbouring Catholic schools at St Edmund’s for a special Jubilee Year Prayer Trail. This pilgrimage prayer trail allowed the children to engage in a sacred journey, reflecting the rich tradition of Jubilee Years where pilgrims travel to holy places as a time for prayer and contemplation. Throughout the trail, the pupils reflected on meaningful questions such as, “How can I be the person God made me to be?” The experience was not only a time for personal reflection but also a shared journey, fostering encouragement, friendship, and a deeper sense of community. By listening with their hearts, the children were able to appreciate God’s beauty in each other and in the places they visited, making the pilgrimage a truly inspiring and faith-enriching experience.

Jubilee Year 2025 Pilgrims of Hope   

During the Summer Term, we held a beautiful celebration of the word at church to celebrate receiving the diocesan anchor. This anchor is part of the Jubilee Year initiative, themed "Pilgrims of Hope," and is travelling to all schools within the Salford Diocese.

It was a wonderful occasion as we welcomed the children and staff from St. Mary’s, Failsworth who came on pilgrimage to bring us the anchor, along with a paper chain that has been lovingly added to by each school that has hosted it. Our GIFT team did an outstanding job of welcoming St. Mary’s and leading our school in prayer and liturgy to mark this special event. The singing from all of the children was beautiful and uplifting as always.

The  anchor was then brought back to school where were welcomed member of our school and parish community to come and spend some time in quiet reflection and prayer.  The following week,  the Diocesan Anchor continued on it’s journey to St Edmund’s Primary School. A few of our GIFT team members walked the distance there and back to deliver the anchor. We were warmly welcomed by the whole school community, out to meet us cheering and waving their jubilee flags. We presented them with our gift of flowers from Christ The King and the exchange of the anchor then took place. Their GIFT team then led us in a beautiful quiet and calm prayer and liturgy service. We enjoyed some refreshments and were soon on our way back to school. It was a lovely welcome from St Edmund’s and it has been great to see how this anchor is bringing people and schools together!

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