Students are gearing up to host a celebration to mark the World Day of Prayer for the Sick.

The annual event at Keighley’s Holy Family Catholic School takes place on Thursday, February 11, and will involve an evening service at the school.

The Vatican has designated the date a special day of prayer for seriously ill people. However, even before this was formalised, staff and pupils at Holy Family had been organising a similarly-themed annual day.

School and community development officer Tim Garthwaite said: “We already had a reliable routine in which we hosted a special day of prayer for the sick on behalf of the parishes in Keighley.

“But we did not want to ignore this additional call, especially on the feast day of one of our patrons. So we elected to pray for those who care for the sick.” The service will be open to all. There will be Mass at 6pm in the school chapel followed by refreshments.