Living Faith, Serving Others: Catholic Life at Cardinal Hume

Living Faith, Serving Others: Catholic Life at Cardinal Hume

At Cardinal Hume Catholic School, our Catholic identity is at the heart of everything we do. With a strong commitment to faith, hard work, and charity – as reflected in our motto, “Fide, Labore, Caritate” – we strive to create a welcoming and inclusive community that celebrates Catholic life and collective worship in many ways. Through the example of our house saints and grounded in Gospel values our school community is very much alive in its Catholic identity.

Every day begins with tutor prayer or an assembly, setting the tone for a day rooted in faith. Our full-time school chaplain, Mrs Proctor, offers numerous opportunities for staff, pupils, parents, and parishioners to come together and celebrate our faith. From year group Masses supported by local clergy to celebrations of the word throughout the liturgical year, led by our pupils, there’s always something happening.

We also connect with local parishes through initiatives like the John Paul II Award and CAFOD Young Leaders Award for Years 12 and 13. Our Faith in Action Award programme – bronze for Year 7, silver for Year 8, and gold for Year 10 – encourages pupils to live out their faith in practical ways. Retreats, like our Year 13 trip to Emmaus Youth Village and the Secondary School Festival (God Camp), provide opportunities for spiritual growth and friendship.

Our school chapel is a hub of prayer and reflection, open to both staff and pupils. Mrs Proctor is always around to offer support, and year group prayer time is woven into the RE curriculum, extending the ways we can worship and explore our faith. We’re also proud to support CAFOD through events like our annual school fair, Big Lent Walk raising both funds and awareness of the need to pray and support our global family. We also come together as a school community through the reverse advent calendar which supports the local Gateshead food bank and the whole school participates in the Memory Mile for Cancer Research.

Extra-curricular opportunities in cardinal Hume school , are on offer too – like pilgrimages to Lourdes, the SOURCE event, and youth council led by the Diocesan Youth Ministry Team. At Cardinal Hume, faith isn’t just taught – it’s lived.