THE P
RTAL The LOGS schools project
Joanna Bogle DSG
May 2018 Page 4
Auntie
Two tables stacked with children ’ s artwork , certificates and bookplates stating “ Presented to …”. Another overflowing with wrapping paper , sticky tape , jiffy-bags and labels . At another table , someone is sitting tapping away at a computer . Oh , and at another table , most importantly LUNCH is being laid out … This is LOGS , the Ladies Ordinariate Group , busy in the Parish Room at Precious Blood Church in London , tackling the 2018 Lord ’ s Prayer Project .
Joanna
writes
The number of schools entering was slightly down on last year … a mild disappointment . But there was still plenty of work . Children from primary schools across Greater London and the South East took part in the project with enthusiasm . Our team of judges studies each batch of entries with great seriousness . The children had to copy out the Lord ’ s Prayer in good handwriting , decorate it , and answer some simple questions to show their understanding of it .
This year , we organised ourselves better than in previous years : we had the team of judges , who also wrote out and signed the bookplates and certificates to be sent to each school . We had Lesley - making an EXCEL spreadsheet listing each school , number of prizes awarded etc . We had someone counting out the cards with the Lord ’ s Prayer on them – every entrant gets one – and Kathie and Joanna busy with the wrapping paper and sticky tape , wrapping up the prizes for posting .
There is now a special LOGS Prayer Book , which is the prize that is awarded for the best work – generally we award about five or six in each school batch of entries . The Prayer Book has 13 prayers , representing Christ and the twelve Apostles . Of course , the book opens with the Lord ’ s Prayer , and the other prayers include classics such as the Prayer of St Richard of Chichester , the St Francis Prayer , and some by John Henry Newman including “ Praise to the Holiest ” and that beautiful meditation “ God has created me for some definite purpose …”
We broke off for Mass – there is a daily lunchtime Mass at Precious Blood at 1.05pm – and then returned for Lunch , with much lively talk . Then back to our work . During the afternoon Fr C , working in his own office further down the corridor , dropped by and brewed tea for us all . By the day ’ s end , we had a most
satisfying stack of parcels and after a massive clearingup-the-mess session , we were satisfied with the day ’ s effort . The next day a couple of heavy-laden trips to the Post Office saw the prizes off to their destinations .
There is still more work to do , because the project has spread . The Catholic Union of Great Britain now also runs it , taking on various areas of Britain – this year it was the Eastern counties , Norfolk , Suffolk , Lincolnshire . And a school governor in the Midlands got so interested that she has taken it on in her local area and I spent a morning with her addressing envelopes to schools in Sutton Coldfield and its environs .
If I am asked why we launched this project , I have to answer , speaking for myself , that the truthful answer would be “ Because I got tired of people whingeing about today ’ s children not knowing the Lord ’ s Prayer ”. It ’ s honestly as simple as that .
We in LOGS – as I hope in the Ordinariate generally – take an outward-looking and evangelistic approach to life . Like so many other people , we certainly know that many ( most ) children in our country do not know the Lord ’ s Prayer and , yes , we do know that “ at one time every school simply taught it as a matter of course ” etc etc .
Yes , we know that it used to be standard at school assemblies . Yes , we know that isn ’ t the case any more . The question is : what are we all doing about it ? One answer now , in the case of several parts of the country , is that - Deo Gratias ! - there is now a project for schools in which children learn the prayer , win prayer-book prizes for showing their knowledge of it , and receive cards they can keep all their lives to remind them to say this beautiful prayer that Christ himself gave us .
And , for the organisers as much as for the children , the work involved is satisfying and enjoyable !