Exploring Christianity, Philosophy and Religion at Worcester Cathedral
In the Lent term, Year Seven pupils studied an introduction to Christianity in their Philosophy and Religion lessons. It was therefore an exciting prospect to be able to take the entire Year group to visit the amazing resource on our own doorstep that is Worcester Cathedral. On two mornings last week, the pupils were introduced to the recently opened Undercroft Learning Centre, the base for the Cathedral’s varied programme of educational activities. Over the course of two hours, pupils enjoyed a guided tour of the Cathedral and a Holy Communion workshop.
Both pupils and staff learned a great deal from the extremely knowledgeable guides, from the Tale of Bishop Wulfstan and the Goose, to the sad story of Arthur, Prince of Wales who is buried in one of the chantry chapels. Pupils were shown several key features of Cathedral worship, with many finding the significance of the Bishop’s Throne (or Cathedra) particularly interesting. They also enjoyed exploring some of the links between the history of the Cathedral and their studies of the Norman Conquest in History lessons back at RGS.
Down in the Undercroft, pupils were reminded of what Christians believe about the final events of Jesus’ life, his death and resurrection, as they considered the meaning of Holy Communion. The workshop was both informative and interactive, with pupils engaging in group work as they considered the meanings of each element of Communion; a few fortunate volunteers on the Wednesday visit even got to try on some of the garments worn by the clergy!
It was a pleasure to visit what is, as we were reminded on the visit, ‘our Cathedral’ and we came away with a greater appreciation for the life and history of this place of worship.
Mrs Susanna Soman
Teacher of Philosophy & Religion