College Chaplain - Fr. Paul Johnson
Blessed Edward Oldcorne is a co-educational, 11-16 Catholic college serving the City of Worcester and South Worcestershire. Inspired by the Gospel, we are distinguished by our concern for each and every child. As a Catholic college we take Jesus Christ as our example.
The college was set up by the Catholic Community to educate their children, to pass on and develop their faith, and spread the beliefs, attitudes and values of the Gospel. We continue this tradition by offering education to the children of Catholic parents, members of other Christian denominations, world faiths and those who support our ethos. We welcome especially children with particular needs.
We seek to partner parents in the development of their children by increasing their knowledge of their faith and by an invitation to prayer and worship. We are supported in this by appropriate liturgies and the work of the chaplaincy.
In a troubled society we seek to provide a safe, supportive and moral environment. We believe that a successful partnership between home and college is essential to the total education of the child. Our staff offer their professional skills and are privileged to share this responsibility.
We are a lively and forward thinking college constantly re-assessing our whole college curriculum in the light of contemporary needs. We recognise that children are unique individuals and expect each child to reach the highest educational standards of which they are capable by developing their knowledge, skills and creativity. To this end we offer a variety of challenging and ambitious programmes that are both academic and vocational. We make progressive initiatives based on traditional values.
We aim to prepare our pupils to make a worthwhile contribution to society and to achieve successful interdependence. The college aims to emphasise the Christian ideal of service to others and to develop care within our community and respect for Creation.
We would wish to be an outward-looking body that seeks to play a full part in the life of the City, the County of Worcestershire and the Archdiocese of Birmingham. To this end we endeavour to build on our links with local industries, parishes and feeder schools, and our local multi-faith, multi-cultural community. We also recognise our responsibilities as members of the world community and would wish to make valid contributions to it.
We encourage honest and supportive communication between all members of the college and involve the whole community in decision making. This necessitates meaningful and open relationships between pupils, parents, staff and governors.
We see it as essential to our purpose to provide a college community where everyone is aware of their worth as an individual, everyone’s needs are regarded as important and everyone’s achievements are recognised. We maintain and develop structures for care and support, and we work actively to maintain a good orderly working atmosphere and warm relationships between staff and pupils.
We will continue to appraise regularly the achievements of individual pupils and to assess critically and continuously the college’s aims and objectives and its performance in meeting them.
Chaplaincy Team
Our Lady Queen of Peace (Worcester)
| 10 Bransford Road | Tel: 01905 423633 |
| Worcester | Fax: 01905 339399 |
| Worcestershire | Visit Parish Website |
| WR2 4EN | |
| Parish Priest: | Fr Paul Whieldon |
St. George's (Worcester)
| 1 Sansome Place | Tel: 01905 22574 |
| Worcester | Fax: 01905 22635 |
| Worcestershire | |
| WR1 1UG | |
| Parish Priest: | Fr Brian McGinley |
Sacred Heart and St. Catherine of Alexandria (Droitwich)
| Worcester Road | Tel: 01905 773258 |
| Droitwich | |
| Worcestershire | Visit Parish Website |
| WR9 8AZ | |
| Parish Priest: | Fr Thomas Kelly |
St Joseph's (Worcester)
| Chedworth Drive | Tel: 01905 454352 |
| Worcester | |
| Worcestershire | |
| WR4 9PG | |
| Parish Priest: | Fr Peter Norton |
Holy Redeemer (Pershore)
| 14 Priest Lane | Tel: 01386 552737 |
| Pershore | |
| Worcestershire | |
| WR10 1EB | |
| Parish Priest: | Fr John Walsh |
St Wulstan's (Little Malvern)
| Ledbury Road | Tel: 01684 574658 |
| Little Malvern | |
| Worcestershire | Visit Parish Website |
| WR14 4JL | |
| Parish Priest: | Fr Christopher Calascione |
St Mark's in Cherry Orchard (Worcester)
Rev Duncan Ballard
Left to right:
Mr. L. James - Head of Religious Education
Mr. F. Tota - Second in Department
Mr. J. Ndungu - Teacher of Religious Education
Mr. D. McCormack - Assistant Principal, Teacher of Religious Education
History of Blessed Edward Oldcorne
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- Still priests including Edward risked their lives travelling the country
to ensure people could attend Mass. - By 1592 so many priests had been tortured and Martyred that very
few were left! - In 1606 the Sheriff of Worcester went to Hindlip Hall with over 100
armed men to search it – they soon found the hiding places for the
items used in the Mass BUT it took a further 2 weeks before Edward
Oldcorne and Fr. Garnet were forced to emerge from their hiding
place. - Edward Oldcorne was charged with treason, accused of being
involved in the Gunpowder Plot. - He was tortured on the rack for 5 days and was eventually executed
by hanging at Red Hill on April 7th 1606. - His feast day is on January 27th.
Class A - Blessed Ralph Ashley
- Served as a cook at Douai College, France.
- Went to Spain in 1590 and became a Jesuit Lay Brother.
- Returned to England in 1598 and served with Father Edward Oldcorne.
- Captured in 1604 and frightfully tortured and executed.
Class C - Saint Margaret Clitherow
- Margaret Clitherow was a butcher's wife in York.
- In 1574 Margaret became a Catholic and an active helper of the Douai priests.
- She also ran a Catholic school for her children and neighbours.
- However one day the house was searched, Mass was over but the school was in progress. The priest excaped but the officers bullied all the children until a little Flemish boy told them where the priest's vestments were hidden.
- The 'three day sentence' to die was not carried out, but on 25th March 1586 she was crushed to death, and took a quarter of an hour to die.
- Her two sons became priests.
Class J - Saint John Jones
- John Jones was a Welshman.
- He appears in 1587 as a priest working among the Catholics in a Prison. This work was cut short when his disguise was discovered, and he was arrested and imprisoned at Wisbech Castle.
- Somehow he escaped and made his way to the continent. After an audience with Pope Clement VIII, he succeeded in getting permission to return to England.
- He arrived in London in 1592 and two years later was a prisoner once more at Wisbech.
- He was martyred on 12th July 1598 at St. Thomas Waterings in Southwark, London.
- There was an hour's delay because the hangman had forgotten his rope. Father Jones made use of this time in prayer and addressing the crowd.
Class L - Saint Anne Line
- Anne Line and her husband were both converts and though both were disinherited because of their faith they managed to live quite comfortably until 1586 when a priest was taken whilst saying Mass in their house.
- Her husband was imprisoned, banished and died soon after. Anne was left destitute.
- When Father Gerard set up a house in London for priests he put Anne in charge, However on Candlemass Day 1601 the officers arrived during mass.
- The priest escaped but Anne was taken and condemned. She died at Tyburn on 27th February 1601.
Class P - Blessed Humphrey Prichard
- Humphrey Prichard was a barman at the Catherine Wheel Public House in Oxford.
- He supported the underground work of priests in Elizabethan England. After examination and torture in London he was tried and executed in Oxford.
- He was taunted for his ignorance by some of the university men present at the execution. When he said that he died for being a Catholic, one of them shouted that he was unable to explain what being a Catholic meant.
- Blessed Humphrey replied: "What I cannot say in words, I will seal with my blood".
- He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1987.
Class S - Blessed Robert Sutton
- Robert Sutton was born at Burton-on-Trent in 1545.
- He studied at Christ Church, Oxford, and was ordained in the Established Church, becoming Rector of Lutterworth in Leicestershire.
- He was converted to Catholicism in 1577 through the influence of his younger third brother.
- Robert worked for ten years, saying Mass secretly in the houses of Catholic families in various places.
- He was arrested in Stafford in 1588 and was hanged, drawn and quartered there on 27th July.
- Before execution, he made a speech about the candle which is given at baptism and in the hour of death, and he held up his handkerchief in remembrance of it, saying that he lived and died in the light of the Catholic faith.
- He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1987.
Class W - Saint John Wall
- John Wall came from a Norfolk gentry family and was born in Lancashire in 1620.
- His parents were fervent Catholics and sent him, when he was thirteen, to Douai College in northern France.
- From there he went to the English College in Rome and was ordained as a priest at 25 years old. He then joined the Franciscan Order at the friary at Douai.
- When he was 36 he was sent secretly to England work as a priest in Worcestershire. For 22 years he ministered to Catholics, moving from place to place, and often using an assumed name to avoid capture.
- In 1678 he was arrested at Rushock Court near Bromsgrove.
- He was condemned to death and was hung, drawn and quartered on Red Hill in Worcester on 22nd August 1679.
- In his speech at the the gallows he said: "I will offer my life in satisfaction for my sins and for the Catholic cause. I beseech God... to turn our captivity into joy; that they who sow in tears may reap in joy".
- He was canonised by Pope Paul VI in 1970 as one of the Forty Martyrs.
Whilst not definitive, the core values based on the Beatitudes may be summarised as follows:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for there is the Kingdom of Heaven” Values: Faithfulness & Integrity “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” Values: Humility & Gentleness Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” Values: Truth & Justice “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” Values: Forgiveness & Mercy “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God” Values: Purity & Holiness “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God” Values: Tolerance & Peace “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of slander against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice for your reward is great in heaven; they persecuted the prophets before you in the very same way. Values: Service & Sacrifice. Gospel values “…are a guarantee of peace and of collaboration among all citizens in the shared commitment to serving the common good”. Rooted in the teaching of Christ, these Gospel values should constitute the targets and outcomes of the educational enterprise in every Catholic school For this to be possible, these Gospel values need to be explicitly named, their meaning unpacked and pupils helped to understand how they relate to their lives both at school, at home and in society. This enterprise is not in addition to the quest for high academic standards and vocational excellence but integral to it. “Catholic schools, while providing a quality education, hold up Christian values to children, inviting them to build their own lives on them. Teaching these values, for those who know how to accept and live them consistently, yields highly positive results – as experience confirms- - at the personal, family and professional levels.”The following photos of displays in our college highlight the Gospel values on which our college ethos is based.
Click here to view our Spirituality Calendar.
Lourdes Pilgrimage - Archdiocese of Birmingham
Mr. Tota and a group of students made a historic pilgrimage to Lourdes in May 2008. It was the first time that a group of students from our college had visited Lourdes and it marked 150 years since the first apparition of Our Blessed Lady to Bernadette Soubirous.
The pilgrimage was a week long celebration of prayer, processions and liturgies. Pupils also had the opportunity to go on day trips to the magnificent Pyrenean Mountains.
The whole visit was a unique opportunity and left our students with many lifelong memories.
A Cross Purposes Mission is a time for a school community to revisit its Mission as a Catholic School, to have the Gospel proclaimed in a radical and accessible way to both staff and pupils, and to explore new ways of nurturing faith within the school context.
It is also a time of establishing stronger links with the feeder Parishes of the School, and enabling pupils who want to return to a Parish, to make that journey.
The Sion Catholic Community for Evangelism came to host a Mission at our College during the week commencing Monday 20th October 2008.
If you would like to know more about their work please access the following link which will direct you to their homepage.
Summary of the Week
Our inspirational Mission week led by the Catholic Sion Community came to an end on the 24th of October. The event was truly a collegiate effort and our thanks go out not only to all of our own college chaplains but also to priests in the Deanery who assisted in various services, workshops and reflections.
Both staff and pupils gained an enormous amount and cherished this opportunity to develop their faith.
The feedback from our pupils was particularly rewarding and clearly demonstrated that they had valued the opportunity to connect with God through the forms of Drama, Dance, Music and sign language.
The individual workshops were a great success and enthusiasm for reconciliation was almost overwhelming.
Some of the comments made by pupils included:- ‘It was just astonishing what happened. Its been the best week of my life and I know that the memories will stay with me forever’, ‘I learnt more about how to trust God’, ‘Mission week was awesome’.
Several Mission themes and activities will continue to run in the college as we strive to maintain and enhance the five daily Mission themes:- Choose life, Who’s ya Daddy?, In the light, Live life to the Max and Don’t Stop me now.
The memories of this week will remain with me for a long time and I would like to thank every single person who contributed.
Please take some time to access the Spirituality web link on our college home page where you will be able to view photographs, a video and messages posted by our pupils regarding their experiences during Mission Week.
Students Comments
Below are some comments from students about the Mission.
- I have been able to connect well with God.
- It was just astonishing what happened.
- It's been the best week of my life and I know that the memories will stay with me for ever.
- The dramas were very good because they related to everyday experiences.
- This week helped me understand more about my faith.
- Lots of things to do and to get involved in, the assemblies and dramas were great.
- They made assembly really good.
- I loved the Dramas and all the Mission Team, thank you.
- I like the way they show you lots about God and the way we could go and pray in the chapel more.
- It is a good way of learning about God and the Holy Spirit.
- The dramas are good to watch, but also educational.
- Keep doing what you're doing, this week's been the best.
- I think Mission week's once in a life time opportunity.
- The dramas are very inspiring.
- Mission week is awesome.
- I learnt more about myself.
- I really enjoyed Mission week and I really liked everyone from Sion youth because they were really friendly. I learnt a lot about myself and my relationship with God and how I can improve it. I would love to have another Mission week. I loved the different workshops as well.
- I enjoyed this Holy Spirit experience as it made me feel better about myself.
- It's been such a great week and I'm really glad I got involved.
- I liked how they were friendly and cheerful.
- I've had such a brilliant experience.
- I learnt a lot more about what I can do myself and about how God loves us all and will always help us in bad times.
- The week was fun and helped realise what faith I have.
- I also liked the different activities you could do, the confession and meditation, they are all different ways of interacting with God.
- Awesome and eye opening.
- Thanks for coming.
- I thought it would be boring but it was amazingly fun.
- The assemblies are fab and they taught me a lot.
- They are funny but with serious moral themes.
- Wish it will never end.
- Encourages me to reveal the real me.
- Shows you that different is good.
- The mission team is full of various talents.
- "Dance like no-one is watching, sing like no-one is listening, live every day as if it is your last."
- Learnt more about how to trust in God. It has been fun.
- Entertaining.
- Active fun change and the team were very enthusiastic.
- I feel really close to God.
- Can pray to God about anything which is really good.
Every year around 50 of our Year 11 pupils attend a retreat at Soli House in Stratford upon Avon. Soli House is a retreat centre for the Birmingham Diocese which offers a unique opportunity for young teenagers to experience time away from the home and college environment to relax, share time friends, reflect on their lives and celebrate life. |
The staff at Soli House is made up of students who relate really well to young people and act as role-models to inspire them to make a positive contribution to the communities in which they live and work.
The whole experience engages our young people mentally, physically and spiritually. Our students always return inspired by the experience of Soli House.
Some photos taken during retreats at Soli House....
As part of our Lentern preparations a whole college production of "Born for This" was performed at St. George's Catholic Church in Worcester.
This Little Light of mine,
I’m gonna let it shine,
(Repeat x 3)
Let it shine, Let it shine, Let it shine.
The light that shines is the light of love
Lights the darkness from above,
It shines on me and it shines on you,
And shows what the power of love can do.
I’m gonna shine my light both far and near,
I’m gonna shine my light both bright and clear.
Where there’s a dark corner in this land,
I’m gonna let my little light shine.
This Little Light of mine,
I’m gonna let it shine,
(Repeat x 3)
Let it shine, Let it shine, Let it shine.
On Monday he gave me the gift of love,
Tuesday peace came from above.
On Wednesday he told me to have more faith,
On Thursday he gave me a little more grace.
Friday he told me to watch and pray,
Saturday he told me just what to say,
On Sunday he gave me the power divine
To let my little light shine.
This Little Light of mine,
I’m gonna let it shine,
(Repeat x 3)
Click here to view the report.
Click here to view the assembly themes.
Click here to view some sample lead slides from assemblies.
Click here to view the College Prayer Booklet.
Click here to view our renewal application for the Leading Aspect Award.