Catholic Identity

The Catholic School

The Catholic school is the visible, lived expression of the Catholic faith through its culture, relationships, learning, worship and commitment to justice grounded in the person of Jesus and the mission of the Church. The story of Jesus Christ animates all that takes place in the Catholic school and shapes the way in which young people are educated and formed. 

Our Catholic schools form young people who are hopeful, courageous and committed to making society more just, compassionate and peaceful. They are vibrant places where rituals, symbols and sacred spaces express our values and inspire and shape the spiritual identity of the community. 

Our Catholic schools strongly embrace dialogue between faith and culture, Church and contemporary society and in particular Catholic Tradition and diverse student beliefs. They strive to be communities where everyone feels known, valued and included, and where relationships are shaped by mercy, forgiveness and respect. 

In our schools, families are partners in mission and staff witness the Gospel through their words and actions. 

The Religion Curriculum and the Religious Life of the School

All Prep to Year 12 students in our Catholic schools participate in Religious Education and the religious life of the school. 

Jesus Christ is at the centre of the vision for Religious Education for the schools within the Diocese of Townsville which aspire to educate and form students who are challenged to live out the Gospel. 

Religious Education expresses, deepens and extends the students’ experience of faith and mission through rich encounters of faith and genuine dialogue to enhance meaning making to support a religious or nonreligious worldview. 

An enriched curriculum, guides students towards critical thinking through which they learn to question, reflect and integrate faith with contemporary life. 

There is a strong emphasis on academic rigour in TCE’s Religious Education curriculum that is complemented by pastoral care and spirituality. Prayer is woven into daily life, while Mass and liturgy are celebrated with reverence and student involvement is meaningful. 

Prayer and Liturgy

Catholic schools offer regular opportunities for students to develop a relationship with God and through a variety of formal and informal expressions of prayer, appropriate to the age and development of the students. It is recognised that prayer will form a way of being in the world and a perspective on life that could, at times, be challenging and counter-cultural. 

Daily life is ritualised through rituals combining words, silence, actions, signs, and symbols that make meaning of the matter of life in light of the scriptures and keeping the presence of God at the forefront of each school day.

Prayer life and liturgy create a sense of purpose and identity reflecting the uniqueness of our communities whilst formulating an understanding of our shared humanity. ?It has the?potential to nourish our spiritual growth and provide the context and the resources for us to celebrate our lives and identities.