Pupils from St Paul’s RC Academy, Dundee, have played a central role in helping St Columba’s Parish display its newly adopted Vision and Mission Statement, following the parish’s engagement with the Divine Renovation programme. Pictured with one of the completed banners are (L–R): Martyna Wojnicz, Maja Grzejdak, Anna Ward, and Cerys Mills.
After completing the Divine Renovation initiative, parish leaders hoped to inspire parishioners to take a more active role in living out and sharing their faith. At the invitation of Fr Alex, the Parish Pastoral Council drafted a new Vision and Mission Statement, reflecting the core values of the community. Once approved, it was displayed on the parish notice board — but members soon sought a more prominent and visually engaging way to present it.
At this time, Mrs Kirsty Small, newly appointed headteacher of St Paul’s and eager to strengthen ties between the school and the parish, had been attending several Parish Council meetings. When banners used within the school were praised for their impact, the idea of creating similar displays for the parish quickly took hold.
Art teacher Caroline Nicoll met with parish representatives to explore how the project could be brought to life. The school’s art department then took the lead in developing and finalising the designs before sending them to print.
The completed banners were delivered to St Columba’s on 5 November and installed in the church on 17 November, where they now greet parishioners and visitors alike.
The strong partnership between school and parish was celebrated on Sunday 23 November, the Feast of Christ the King, when pupils and staff from St Paul’s attended Mass and joined the congregation for refreshments in the parish hall. During the gathering, a certificate of appreciation was presented to Caroline, along with tokens of thanks for the school’s contribution to the project.
