STAFF and students at a Keighley school have embarked on an extensive series of charitable activities as part of a year specially set aside for forgiveness and prayer.

From this month until July, Holy Family Catholic School will be focusing on the theme of "Mercy" and carrying out many different projects to aid people who are suffering.

A spokesman for the school explained: "Pope Francis has marked his papacy particularly by talking about mercy.

"The year from December 8 last year to November 20 this year will be kept as a 'Jubilee Year' in the Old Testament sense.

"Just as every seventh day, the Sabbath, was set aside as a day of rest so every seventh year the land was left fallow and allowed to rest.

"And every seventh-seventh year – so every 49 years – a 'jubilee' was declared when prisoners were freed and debts cancelled to give everyone and everything a fresh start.

"The principal focus for the current year is Mercy in all its forms. At Holy Family, our staff and students will act upon each of the seven traditional Works of Mercy, one per month in the seven months through to July."

January's activity, the first of the seven works of mercy, is feeding the hungry. Members of Holy Family are bringing in food which is being donated to a food bank.

Next month's duty will be giving drink to the thirsty, which pupils will carry out by filling empty water bottles with loose change to be given to Water Aid or the charity Cafod to help fund their clean water projects.

Students will also collect tea and coffee for the food bank.

In March, the school will focus on collecting clothing for the needy. It will also appeal for donated books, which will be dispatched to Africa to help promote literacy

The school spokesman added: "April will be 'sheltering the homeless', when we will fundraise for organisations working to alleviate homelessness, and also raise money for emergency shelters.

"In May the theme is visiting the sick, so we'll offer prayers for the sick, make greetings cards to be sent to ill people in our partner parishes and interview those who work with the seriously ill.

"For the theme of visiting those in prison, in June, we'll pray for those in prison around the world and for their families, join the greeting card campaign for prisoners of conscience and prepare gifts to be taken to the elderly and others who are in effect imprisoned by loneliness.

"The final month's work of mercy is burying the dead. The school will pray for those who have died and for their relatives, and there will be a planting of remembrance flowers in Holy Family's Memorial Garden."