Fathers Day Liturgy 2022

Running Sheet

The Prayer Celebration will be held on the 4th of September 2023 at our local Parish; St Anthonys Catholic Church Austral. This Prayer Celebration has been designed by Year 6 students and teachers in order to celebrate and appreciate the father figures within our Parish community. Year 6 have invited their parents and grandparents to join us in congregation for the liturgy. The remainder of the school will be connected through zoom in order to participate in the Celebration within their classrooms.

Preparation: Year 6 teachers will lead their classes along with the school choir to the Church prior to the Prayer Celebration commencing. Parishioners and students in the church will be asked to stand as the Priest and volunteering students enter the Church.

Participating students will have the following items for the prayer space whilst walking down the aisle with the Priest; Bible, crucifix, 6 white candles, small crucifix, photo frame of St Joseph and a vase containing trimmed white roses.

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Gathering

Gathering Song:

We Welcome You to This Place: Written by John Burland Music. https://youtu.be/oduSW5acaWI

Priest and students enter the church. Students begin to place their items onto the already dressed prayer space which has a white base cloth and a green overlay to represent ordinary time. Each student places their item on the prayer space. Students with the candles remain standing at the front of the Church. Participating students and teachers are seated in the front pews of the Church. Parishioners and students are then asked to be seated; liturgy begins.

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Welcome and Introduction

Acknowledgement of Country

Year 6 student:

Webegin today by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land on

which we gather today. We pay our respects to the Elders past, present and emerging.

We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people here today.

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Year 6 teacher: We gather here today to celebrate Fathers Day, a day to remember all those who are like fathers to us. As we have been shown love and care by our fathers, we understand how God is a loving father to us. Like our fathers, God loves us with compassion, kindness, mercy, justice and gentleness. So today we celebrate thespecial life-giving gift of fathers.

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Candle Lighting/Opening Call to Prayer

Student 1: We light out first candle for the fathers who love us unconditionally with a compassionate hearts. (Pause and light candle)

All: Amen

Student 2: We light our second candle for fathers who bring joy and laughter in our lives. (Pause and light candle)

All: Amen

Student 3: We light our third candle for fathers who demonstrate peace and justice in our lives. (Pause and light candle)

All: Amen

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Student 4: We light our fourth candle for the fathers who provide us stability and calmness. (Pause and light candle)

All: Amen

Student 5: We light our fifth candle for fathers who love show us forgiveness time and time again. (Pause and light candle)

All: Amen

Student 6: And we light our sixth candle for fathers who bring gentleness into our hearts. (Pause and light candle)

All: Amen

Parishioners and students make the sign of the cross

Year 6 Teacher: In the name of Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

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Opening Prayer

Year 6 Teacher:

Loving God, full of mercy and grace,

We thank you for our earthly fathers,

In the likeness of St Joseph,

Jesuss earthly father,

We praise the fathers who,

Find strength in you to honour their commitment of loving ones child,

We praise the fathers who,

Nurture their children with a gentle heart and mind,

We praise fathers who,

Choose to be stepfathers and take upon them the responsibility of fatherhood,

We praise fathers who,

Love their adopted children providing them with a thriving life,

We praise fathers who,

Have lost a child but continue to hold love in their heart,

We praise men who,

Do not have children but cherish generations to come,

We praise men who,

Have become a role model even though they arent our fathers,

We praise men who,

Are about to become new fathers,

And let us praise the fathers who have died,

But through their fatherly love they live on in our memory.

With your grace, bless the earthly fathers of our world God

And help us to love and show gratitude for them.

All: Amen

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Listening

Reading

Year 6 student:

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke. 15: 11-24.

The parable of the Lost Son

Year 6 teacher: Jesus continued:There was a man who had two sons.

The younger one said to his father, Father, give me my share of the estate. So he divided his property between them.

Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.

After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.

So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.

He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

When he came to his senses, he said, How many of my fathers hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!

I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.

So he got up and went to his father.But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

But the father said to his servants, Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Lets have a feast and celebrate.

For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate.

The Gospel of the Lord

All: Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ

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Responding

Choir teacher: Our school choir will now like to dedicate this song to the father figures with us today and within our extended community. There will be a moment of reflection after the performance. In this time, we ask you to think of a special father figure in your life and how the words of the song remind you of them.

I see a Hero: written by Shawna Edwards & Daniel Blomberg. https://youtu.be/hM4gOls0R48 (this video will be re-made with student family photos).

School Choir will perform the rehearsed song for Fathers Day Liturgy. A moment of reflection is shared.

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Prayers of the Faithful

(written by students)

Student 1: We pray that our fathers lives be filled with love and joy. (Pause). Lord hear us.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Student 2: We pray that our fathers words carry kindness, peace and gratitude. (Pause). Lord hear us.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Student 3: We pray that our fathers hands be used in service of others. (Pause). Lord hear us.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Student 4: We pray that their hearts be filled with joy, love, compassion and gratitude.(Pause). Lord hear us.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Student 5: We pray for our fathers who are ill with sickness, died or no longer a part of ourlives find comfort. (Pause). Lord hear us.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Student 6: Loving God, we hope and pray you accept these prayers of which we ask of you.

All: Amen.

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The Lords Prayer

Priest: We will now unite and call upon our Heavenly Father as we prayer the Lords Prayer together:

All parishioners and students stand.

All:

Our Father,

Who art in Heaven,

Hallowed be Thy name;Thy Kingdom come,

Thy will be done

On earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread;

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive those

Who trespass against us;

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil

All: Amen

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Going Forth

Priest: May we go forth in peace, opening our hearts to the fathers in our lives as we servethe Lord.

All: Thanks to be God.

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Recessional Hymn

Carry Me on Your Shoulders: Written by John Burland Music. https://youtu.be/vHIzTJgtnwcYear 6 students carrying a cross exit the church followed by Year 6 students and teachers exit the church. Then all parishioners leave the church in an orderly manner. A morning tea will be organised at school for families to attend after the celebration.

Prayer Celebrations may be held in the classroom, church, hall or in an appropriate outside area. They are prepared by teachers and often students and may include a priest in attendance but the priest would be a guest and not officiating at the celebration

Possible Topics for Prayer Celebration

Opening of the Year School Liturgy/Prayer Celebration

School Feast Day

Ash Wednesday Celebration

Lent

Palm Sunday

Holy Week

Easter

Pentecost

Anzac Day

Mothers Day

Feast of Mary Help of Christians (Patron Saint of Australia)

Naidoc Day

Fathers Day

Feast of Mary of the Cross MacKillop (Patron Saint of Australia)

Grandparents Day

Remembrance Day

Advent

Christmas

Year 6 Farewell Liturgy

Other Themes such as:

Creation

Love one another

Being Thankful

Reconciliation

Please ensure that reading/readings link to the theme of the celebration, music is appropriate for the theme and age of the children.

Prayers may be taken and referenced from online sites however language must be contemporary and suitable for the gathering.

Any responses match the type of reading chosen e.g. a gospel reading has a different response to any other scripture reading.

If choosing a gospel reading only one reader.

PRAYER CELEBRATION FORMAT

CHOOSE A THEME AND GRADE

TIME ALLOCATED: 30 MINUTES

You will need two documents that will be both loaded into the Leo Assessment 2 box

A powerpoint that would be used to present your themed presentation

A running sheet that is a thorough overview of what you will be presenting

The following needs to be covered under the four headings

GATHERING:

Where are you going to gather?

How are you going to gather?

Are you going to use Music or video?

Will there be a procession, banners, posters, symbols?

This will include an Opening Prayer

LISTENING:

There must be at least one reading and it must be from the Old or New Testament.

One student to read

RESPONDING:

This can be through video, music, prayers, drama

Prayers of the Faithful can be included here. They may be taken from an online website as long as they are referenced and suitable for the topic and age of the students.

This could also be a time of reflection

GOING FORTH

How will the students leave the space?

Will it be with music or video or in silence?

Will there be a ritual?

This could be blessing using scented oil, use of water or sharing something they have made eg Mothers Day they may have made a card or written a letter for their mother

ASSESSMENT 2: RUBRIC FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A NON- EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATIONWEIGHTING:50%

CRITERIA HIGH DISTINCTION DISTINCTION CREDIT PASS FAIL

Knowledge and Understanding