St Peter's Church

Proud to be a top-rated Catholic school

Proud to be a top-rated Catholic school

Proud to be a top-rated Catholic school

Proud to be a top-rated Catholic school

Proud to be a top-rated Catholic school

Our Faith is at the centre of everything we do at Stonyhurst across our Prep School, College and Sixth Form

As a community we seek to do everything Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (to the greater glory of God), so that our faith informs the high standards we strive to achieve from day to day.

We welcome young people of all Christian traditions, and other faiths, encouraging them to participate in the rich and vibrant spiritual life of the school, to do their best in everything and to celebrate the successes of others through a spirit of gratitude and generosity.

We are a predominately Catholic school and world-famous as a centre of excellence in the Jesuit tradition, proud of our Catholic heritage, pedagogy and tradition, and our pupil body has always been drawn from a global community, which enriches the chaplaincy work at Stonyhurst.

 

Chaplaincy at our Pre-Prep and Prep School

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Chaplaincy at our College and Sixth Form

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Go Forth and Set the World Ablaze

Saint Ignatius Loyola (founder of the Society of Jesus and Jesuit schools)

Jesuit Principles

Jesuit principles provide a solid foundation for our mission to develop our pupils’ unique talents, for the greater glory of God and to find God in all things. We use the Jesuit Pupil Profile as a way of talking to young people about what it means to be a good person and to live one’s life well, encouraged by the values and virtues proclaimed in the Gospel. As a community, we aim to live by these values in all that we do and to give pupils the opportunity to learn more about themselves, their local community and the world around them. 

With Christ at the centre of our caring, supportive and prayerful community of pupils, staff and parents, we know our pupils as individuals, provide for their specific needs and help them to grow with the long-term goal of becoming well-rounded 'men and women for others' in the Ignatian tradition.

At Stonyhurst, we are preparing our pupils for their future, in which they will use their gifts, knowledge and energies to make the world a better place.

Pupils possess outstanding levels of spiritual understanding, manifested in how they show great appreciation for faith and the non-material aspects of life.

The school’s Jesuit ethos is central in helping pupils develop a deep spiritual understanding. Pupils spoke of how being wise means using your knowledge and experiences for the good of others.

ISI Inspection Report April 2023

Jesuits Around The World

Ever since our beginnings in 1593, we have always retained strong links with Jesuit schools around the world and continue to do so today as the oldest continually active Jesuit school.

View Stonyhurst Timeline

Two thirds of our student cohort are Roman Catholics, with a further third joining us from overseas. You’ll also find Stonyhurst alumni serving others and in leadership roles across the globe.

Our pupils regularly take part in projects with other Jesuit schools around the world, such as the Global Christmas Prayer Link and the "Connected Classroom", both facilitated by Educate Magis.

Explore our Chapels

We have four beautiful chapels in use at Stonyhurst, in addition to the Jesuit Church of St Peter’s, which sits on our College site. There is one at St Mary's Hall and a further three at Stonyhurst College. Explore a handful of these beautiful places of worship by clicking the links below.

Inside the College chapel

 

College Chapel

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Prep School Chapel 

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Sodality Chapel

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Angels' Chapel

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People sometimes ask what makes a Jesuit school different or distinctive. Saint Ignatius Loyola gave the answer that a Jesuit school should be about improvement in living and learning for the greater glory of God and the common good.

Jesuit schools strive to give a first class education but they are also places committed to outstanding formation of character, wanting their pupils to develop into well-educated adults who will live good and virtuous lives. Jesuit schools hope that the young people they form, in partnership with parents, will make the most of their God-given gifts and talents and use their education as ‘men and women for others’ to make the world a better place, especially for the least well off and most socially marginalised.

 

Fr Adrian Porter SJ,  former Delegate for Education
British Province of the Society of Jesus

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