Ritual planning template

Gather and Prepare

Who will hold special roles in the prayer ritual?

❑ Appointed Ritual Leader/Commentator
❑ Teacher
❑ Students
❑ Combination

What will become the “sacred space’?

❑ Classroom
❑ Formal sacred space/church/chapel
❑ Designated Prayer space- outdoors/indoors

What symbolic/ritual elements will be necessary to help establish the sacred space?

❑ None
❑ The following:_________

What ritual action will be used to remind participants they are “leaving the ordinary” and entering sacred space and time?

❑ Sign of the cross or other symbolic action
❑ Touch a symbol, message, icon, clay hand
❑ A water sprinkling (blessing) as students enter
❑ Giving a symbol to people as they enter
❑ Sound of a gong or chimes or water stick or bell
❑ Use of music (“Entrance” music)
❑ Procession
❑ Greeting/Call to Participate/Welcome
❑ Other, namely ...

What elements will be used to lead participants up to the key event/action? (“Winding up”)

❑ Opening prayer/statement
❑ Symbolic/ritual action, namely ...

Listen/view and respond

What will focus participants on the guiding metaphor/theme/ purpose/for the
prayer ritual? (“Climax or key point”)

❑ Ritual action/liturgical movement/mime
❑ Reading/s – Scripture, other
❑ Storybook; extract from text
❑ Audio-visual text
❑ Photo-story cards/images
❑ Homily/address/guest speaker

How will participants be assisted to respond to this input?

❑ Dialogue homily
❑ Silent reflection/Meditation/hold hands/sit or stand bodies touching
❑ Symbolic action using:
• leaves, stones, notes, animals, candles, smoke, fire etc
• gesture, liturgical movement
❑ Shared reflection/prayer/prayers of petition/spontaneous prayer
❑ Journaling, letter writing, affirmation statements, apologies

Share and give thanks

As the “winding down” element/s of the ritual, what actions/prayers will
assist participants to change in response to the focus idea of the ritual?

❑ Sign of Peace/sharing of symbols/prayer cards
❑ Sharing of personal change decisions
❑ Asking for forgiveness/reconciliation action
❑ Affirmation actions/statements
❑ Prayer

Go and tell

What symbolic/ritual action/s will participants use to “return to the ordinary”
and take with them changes and promises made in the ritual? (It can be the
same as or different from, the opening ritual action/s)

❑ Sign of the cross or other symbolic action
❑ Touch a symbol, message, icon, clay hand
❑ A water sprinkling (blessing) as students leave
❑ Giving a symbol/prayer card to people as they leave
❑ Sound of a gong or chimes or water stick or bell
❑ Use of music (“Recessional” music)
❑ Procession
❑ Commissioning/Call to Live out values/Blessing
❑ Other, namely……………………………………………………

Resourcing the ritual

❑ Will participants need special dress/items to attach or wear? Details ………
❑ Is there a need for special music? Details …….
❑ What “special people” roles will there be? (Leaders of prayer; readers; performers of
actions; speakers; facilitators, singers)
❑ What elements will become “special” for the ritual?- (e.g. oils,
water, candle, stones, cloth, leaves etc)
❑ What is needed in terms of the layout of the sacred space? Sketch an outline on the
back of this page.