'All Saints march into York Minster'

MORE than 1,000 pupils from All Saints’ Roman Catholic School crammed into York Minster to celebrate the school’s feast day.

The 1,230 students, who are aged between 11 and 18, were joined by teachers, parents, governors, friends, local parish priests and others for the celebration, which was held a few days after All Saints’ Day.

The celebration is a new tradition, having been started last year, but head teacher Bill Scriven said it was one that would continue.

He said a service had always been held to celebrate All Saints’ Day in local parish churches but the whole school had never been able to come together. This is because the school is on two sites – in Nunnery Lane and Mill Mount Lane – so it was decided to approach the Minster.

Mr Scriven said: “It was a fantastic occasion and it was such a privilege for the whole community to come together to celebrate Mass. As head teacher I was so proud to be part of the whole school community and the way they took part in the liturgical celebrations. After Canon Ryan had given his sermon, there were a couple of minutes where over 1,400 young people and adults were completely silent, reflecting on what he had said. You could have heard a pin drop.”

The logistics of getting more than 1,000 pupils together in the same place and back to school was also a consideration.

Mr Scriven said the majority of students met at the Minster and were then taken back to the school across the city in their form groups with one teacher at the front, another at the back and staff manning the various places where they had to cross the road.

After last year’s event the school council asked that teachers consider including fun activities in the afternoon. So lessons were suspended for the day to allow various activities, including film club, science club, badminton, arts club, board games and geography club.

Mr Scriven said thanks should go to the Minster’s Dean and Chapter.