Student Spiritual Formation
Student Spiritual Formation at Catherine McAuley College
Catherine McAuley College develops students’ knowledge and understandings of Christianity in the light of Jesus and the Gospel, and its unfolding story and diversity within contemporary Australian and global society. This includes being open to learning from the significance and richness of all faith traditions and that of our first nations peoples.
The Religious Life of the School seeks to expand students’ spiritual awareness and religious identity, fostering their capacities and skills of discerning, interpreting, thinking critically, seeking truth and making meaning. It challenges and inspires their service to others and engagement in the Church and the world.
Within the Religious Life of the School ‘Evangelisation and Faith Formation’ strand, the college seeks to nurture the spiritual formation of each individual through providing a variety of spiritual formation experiences such as:
- Guest presentations and speakers
- Half-day/full-day spiritual reflection experiences
- Catholic Education Week activities
- Catherine McCauley Week activities
- Laudato Si Week activities
- Meditation and other diverse experiences of prayer
- Opportunities during school camps to expand spiritual awareness, connect with the environment and reverence creation as a gift from God
- The College Service Learning Program
- The College Wellbeing Program
- Retreats
- Diocesan and national events (eg The diocesan A Chance To Share [ACTS] Retreats, Youth Pilgrimages, Youth Festivals, Conferences)
The aim of providing these student formation opportunities is fourfold:
- To expand students’ spiritual awareness and religious identity
- To foster their capacity and skills of discerning, interpreting, thinking critically, seeking truth and making meaning
- to challenge and inspire their service of others
- to challenge and inspire their engagement in the Church and the world