St John Bosco Arts College has said goodbye to Year 11 and 13 leavers during a unique school-wide Mass.

The Mass, a long-held tradition at the Croxteth-based school, brings students from across each year group together to celebrate and reflect. A total of 1,094 students gathered to mark this special occasion.

The Salesian Sisters from the local community also joined the Mass to help celebrate the feast of Mary Help of Christians. The Catholic school has a distinctive Salesian ethos, grounded in support, care and a warm atmosphere.

Fr Tony Frain led the Mass, with readings and bidding prayers from students and a performance from the school choir providing the celebratory soundtrack.

Each student across Years 11 and 13 received a pink and white rose respectively. The rose symbolises new beginnings and is a small token for students to remember their time at St John Bosco.

Headteacher, Darren Gidman shared a congratulatory speech filled with joy and admiration for the school leavers. He shared: "Our whole school community is proud of the hard work and dedication you have shown to your studies, it has been a pleasure to accompany you on your journey through school and to see you all flourish."

The Mass ended with a compilation of photographs of Year 11 and 13 students throughout their time at the school, showcasing the wealth of memories within the school walls.

The school-wide leavers' Mass has been a long-standing tradition starting over 20 years ago. This year's celebration was the first time the school had celebrated the leavers' Mass together since the pandemic, making it even more special.

St John Bosco prides itself on fostering a school community that shares each other's success and achievements. The Mass is a perfect example of how they live the school values of Love, Faith, Community, Respect and Hope.

Darren Gidman said: "It has always been important for our school community to share this momentous occasion. It demonstrates that we are a school family that will celebrate their success and achievements through celebration and faith."

St John Bosco Arts College is located in Croxteth, Liverpool. The college is an exciting, vibrant and dynamic girls' Catholic comprehensive school with a proud Salesian ethos. Their Mission statement is: 'Together we inspire each other to flourish in faith, hope and love'.

Text from Independent Catholic News

Image from St John Bosco Arts College Instagram