Archbishop visits St Augustine's CE High School

Archbishop Rowan with St Augustine's Head Boy

Friday 30th September 2011

The Archbishop’s visit began began with an opportunity to hear about the school from the School Council. The 12 students who each represent their class on the Council gave Dr Williams an introduction to the life of the school and the things they value most about it. Dr Williams asked the children how they had become members of the School Council and what their responsibilities were and heard how they pass on ideas to the staff from their fellow-students and had been particularly influential in choosing the design for the outdoor space at the rebuilt school.

The Archbishop then led a Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication of the new building. In his address, the Archbishop explored the role of schools in connecting communities and individuals, as well as the importance of connecting within ourselves. He spoke of the importance of 'trusting and believing in God' as part of the way we use 'our experience to understand ourselves and grow’.  He also prayed that the school will be a place where ‘inspiration happens, where imagination happens, and where you keep your horizons as broad as possible’.

The Archbishop concluded his visit by joining a seminar led by A-level Religious Studies students on the theological understanding of the problem of evil. Students gave a presentation of their work on the subject before engaging Dr Williams in a lively discussion of how we make sense of the bad things that happen in the world without losing confidence in God's goodness.

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