Chaplaincy

The Chaplaincy at St John Bosco College

School Chaplain Fr Greg Echegwo gechegwo@sjbc.wandsworth.sch.uk

Saint John Bosco College is part of the wider Salesian community in the UK and around the world. Built on the strong Catholic Salesian tradition and the educative system of Saint John Bosco it focuses on the holistic development of every child. Saint John Bosco based his educative methods on the Preventive System, calling the young people to be “good Christians and honest citizens”. The school imitates the founder in creating a friendly and family atmosphere of learning and growing.

St John Bosco College has a Salesian Priest as chaplain, Fr. G Echegwo, who works with students and staff, celebrates Holy Mass and leads the spiritual animation of the school. The presence of other members of the Salesian community are a valuable feature of our school, adding vibrancy and colour as well as good relationship with wider Catholic community and the Salesian world.

Opportunities are there to request the prayer support of the school community for special intentions of family and friends. In addition to whole school occasions of prayer and reflection, all students have the opportunity to attend weekly masses and experience the Sacrament of Reconciliation twice per year and pray collectively in small groups in either of our chapel or chaplaincy area. We have a strong focus, in the spirit of St John Bosco, that prayer does not stand alone in a child’s formative experience but is part of a wider supportive fabric of education, home life and the playground and therefore, the Chaplaincy area is also a vibrant and popular social space in our school with students coming every lunchtime to play fuse ball and board games together with the Chaplain and other staff.

As the school is part of the Salesian community here in Battersea, members of the Salesian Community regularly come to the school to take part in both prayer and social events as well as supporting with learning and sports activities. Moreover, the students of our school have the opportunity to take part in out of school activities organised by the community itself and have a chance to attend the Salesian House for retreats, prayer days, group masses, and so on.

The Salesian Battersea community website https://www.salesiansbattersea.net/ has some details about the activities, like retreats that happen in the community house.

All students, staff and parents are invited to weekly mass, every Friday at 7.50am, in the school chapel.