More schools have signed up for CAFOD’s Big Lent Walk this year than ever before! Twenty-five schools in the Diocese of Leeds are taking part in the charity’s annual fundraising challenge, walking 200km over 40 days alongside a record-breaking number of Catholic schools nationwide.
This wave of enthusiasm by Catholic young people comes hot on the heels of an extraordinary response to the Jubilee Year. More than a thousand schools have committed to keep living out their Jubilee Pledge as Pilgrims of Hope – and a video compilation, featuring young people from Catholic schools across the country, including from St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School, Clayton, has recently been uploaded to CAFOD’s website, showing some highlights from the year.
St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School, Clayton
Catholic schools across England and Wales were praised by the Vatican for their extraordinary contribution to the 2025 Jubilee. In October, four students and their chaplains were invited to attend the Jubilee of the World of Education in Rome, including a memorable moment in St Peter’s Square, when Pope Leo walked by and blessed the banner they were holding aloft.
CAFOD Director, Christine Allen said:
‘The Jubilee for Schools work wasn’t just reflection, it was also action, and we’re seeing that in the number of schools signing up for this year’s Big Lent Walk. It means that today, hundreds of thousands of children and young people in England and Wales are making a positive difference in the world, with small acts of hope, working for justice, harmony, and peace, locally, nationally, and globally—for people and the earth. This wasn’t just another campaign — it’s become a movement of faith in action. Schools have woven the Jubilee into their learning, their liturgy, and their community outreach, in joyful and imaginative ways, deeply rooted in Gospel values.’
Catholic pupils confirmed how much their Jubilee learning had made them want to live out their faith, with one primary school pupil saying: ‘The Jubilee helped me put my faith into action… it encouraged me to hope more than doubt.’
Monica Conmee, Director of CAFOD Education said:
‘We’re proud and grateful to have played a part alongside others, through our resources, guidance and support, in helping schools live out their Jubilee Pledge so that children and young people can continue to be living signs of hope, reaching out to their communities and the global family, in a journey they will carry forward for years to come.’
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