Response to the Bishop of Nottingham’s Three Spiritual Themes
Encounter – Discipleship – Mission
At Trinity Catholic School, Nottingham, we give heartfelt thanks to God for the gift of Catholic education and for the pastoral leadership of our Bishop, the Right Reverend Patrick McKinney. We are grateful for his invitation to renew our commitment to the Diocesan Mission Plan and to place the three spiritual themes of Encounter, Discipleship and Mission, nourished by the Holy Spirit and the Eucharist, at the heart of all that we do.
In full communion with our Bishop and the wider Diocese of Nottingham, we affirm that Catholic education is far more than the pursuit of academic excellence—important though that is. At Trinity, our mission is to help children and young people encounter the living Christ, to grow as His disciples, and to be formed as witnesses of hope and love in the world. Everything we do is shaped by this call to form missionary disciples who know they are loved by God and are sent out to serve others.
Encounter – Experiencing God’s Love
At Trinity, we seek to ensure that every young person is helped to encounter Jesus Christ in a personal and meaningful way. This encounter is nurtured through daily prayer, reverent liturgy, celebration of the Sacraments, and opportunities for Eucharistic worship and reflection. We strive to make faith tangible and life-giving, helping our students to discover that God’s love is personal, merciful and transformative, and that the Eucharist lies at the heart of Christian life.
Discipleship – Supporting Ongoing Conversion
Flowing from this encounter, we are committed to supporting our students and staff in their ongoing growth as disciples of Christ. At Trinity, discipleship is lived out through learning, prayer, service and community life. We encourage habits of prayer, reflection on Scripture, moral integrity and service to others, enabling young people to grow in freedom, responsibility and joy as followers of Jesus. Our liturgies, chaplaincy provision and pastoral care aim to form hearts and minds that are open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and responsive to God’s call in daily life.
Mission – Nurturing a Witness of Life
In response to Bishop Patrick’s call for a renewed missionary spirit, Trinity Catholic School seeks to be an outward-looking community of faith. Inspired by Catholic Social Teaching, we encourage our students to live their faith through acts of compassion, justice and service, both locally and globally. We aim to form young people who understand that faith is not private but lived, and that each of them is called to witness to Christ through kindness, courage and commitment to the common good.
We also recognise that the mission of Catholic education extends beyond the school gates. In partnership with families, parishes and the wider diocesan community, we work to strengthen the bond between home, school and parish, supporting parents as the first educators in faith and encouraging active participation in parish life. In this way, Trinity contributes to the wider diocesan vision of equipping the laity to be confident and joyful agents of mission.
In unity with the Diocese of Nottingham, we affirm the Bishop’s call for faithful and skilled lay leadership within Catholic education. We echo the invitation for new foundation governors and directors to consider this vital ministry, offering their gifts in service of the Church’s mission with wisdom, generosity and hope.
We pray that Trinity Catholic School will continue to be a place where Christ is encountered, disciples are formed, and mission is lived with confidence and joy. May the Holy Spirit guide and strengthen all who serve in our school, and may our young people be inspired to discern their vocation and to build a future rooted in faith, love and respect.
Trinity Catholic School, Nottingham
“To the Glory of God we build our school on faith, love and respect.”
