How beautiful it would be if each of you, every evening, could say: “Today at school, at home, at work, guided by God, I showed a sign of love towards one of my friends, my parents, an older person!”
(Pope Francis, addressing young people, April 2013)
Pope Francis Faith Award
In 2013, as part of the Year of Faith, Pope Francis bestowed the sacrament of confirmation on 44 young confirmands during a mass in St. Peter's Square. In his homily, Pope Francis pointed out that the Holy Spirit " brings us the new things of God. He comes to us and makes all things new; he changes us. . . You see, the new things of God are not like the novelties of this world, all of which are temporary; they come and go, and we keep looking for more. The new things which God gives to our lives are lasting, not only in the future, when we will be with him, but today as well. God is even now making all things new; the Holy Spirit is truly transforming us, and through us he also wants to transform the world in which we live. Let us open the doors to him, let ourselves be guided by him, and allow God's constant help to make us new men and women, inspired by the love of God which the Holy Spirit bestows on us! How beautiful it would be if each of you, every evening, could say: Today at school, at home, at work, guided by God, I showed a sign of love towards one of my friends, my parents, an older person!".
This has become the foundation of the Pope Francis Faith Award.
The Bishops Conference of Scotland instituted The Pope Francis FAITH AWARD award programme to help young people in Scotland's Catholic schools to see and feel for themselves the benefits of acting with love, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The award is designed to help children to show 'signs of love' in their daily lives and to be active members of their local Church.
It invites young people at the Primary 6 and 7 to use the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and to see how they can bear fruit in their homes, schools and parishes. It is directly connected to what young people are learning about the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Each year our senior pupils take part in the Pope Francis Faith Award, learning about each gift in turn, reflecting on it and then deciding how to act on it. By the end of Pri ary 7, pupils work towards achieved accreditation. Pupils who play an active part in their parish life can also be awarded a Parish Commendation which is verified by their Parish Preist.
How to Support your Child at Home
Parents are asked to support their child’s participation in the Faith Award by:
- attending a short service at which their child will be enrolled for the award.
- encouraging their child to complete their chosen Faith actions at home
- reporting on the completion of the Faith actions at home
- accompanying their child (if Catholic) to Mass in their local parish; introducing your child to the parish priest and encouraging them to be involved, e.g. altar serving, handing out bulletins at Mass, taking part in the offertory procession
- Encouraging your child to pray at home (if appropriate).
- Encouraging your child to speak to other members of the parish and to those involved in parish groups e.g. St Vincent de Paul, Children's Liturgy.