Prayer is at the heart of our relationship with God. Parents are the first educators of children and it is their own example of faith and prayer that will form a child’s faith journey. Prayer is a reminder that God is always with us.

The prayer bag is a wonderful way of linking the prayer life of the school and home by encouraging the children to practise and lead their own prayer sessions with their families and share their spiritual experience.

Inside each prayer bag is a selection of age-appropriate resources for you to use to support your prayer time at home.  There is also a prayer diary where children and parents can record their thoughts, feelings, prayers and intentions, if they wish.

Turn off the television so that everyone can focus on prayer. Your child should set up a simple prayer table as a prayer focus and you might want to include reflective music / hymns (not included). Encourage your child and family to bless themselves with the Holy Water. You (or your child) might like to read a passage from the Bible or story book. You could use the rosary beads to pray the rosary for a special intention. You might practise prayers for your year group. There will be other ideas in the prayer bag and your child will also have some prayer ideas of their own. At the end of your prayer time, make the sign of the cross and return all the items to the prayer bag. You or your child should record some of the things you did or said, questions they have asked or some prayers they have said. You might want to add a photograph or draw a picture relating to the prayer. These prayers will then be used within class prayer time with their peers.