A SCHEME TO HELP the 1,100 boys and girls at St. Peter's High School, Cantley, Yorkshire, the largest Catholic school in the Leeds diocese, "to keep one foot in the parish" has been introduced by the headmaster, Mr. G. Smith.
Because the school draws pupils from 15 parishes, including small mining villages, in a 10-mile radius, he has started combined weekly meetings at the school. He said this week: "In fact 15 parish meetings are held here simultaneously every Friday, and a priest from each parish attends."
Mr. Smith. who has been head of St. Peter's since it opened seven years ago, added : "The plan aims to preserve the parochial spirit, but that is not to say we are being traditional or supporters of any parish pump. The need to break down the pupils into more realistic units than classes or forms for religious teaching has been evident to us for some time.
"I believe the scheme helps the pupils to keep one foot in their parish and encourages the sense of belonging to the church in a more positive way. The parish unit is geographical and tangible and I think this basic realism has a strong pull. Many other schools could do worse than follow our plan."
A member of the staff is appointed to look after the interests of each parish group, which elects its own president and secretary to act as liaison officers with other groups.