“Religious Education as a particular curriculum area is critical to education in a Catholic school. It deliberately attends to the spiritual development of each person, acknowledging and celebrating the Holy Spirit at work, inviting a relationship with God and a Christ-like stance towards others. At the same time, it is a disciplined process of ‘faith seeking understanding’, where the questions of God, beliefs and life are articulated and explored in dialogue with the Catholic Tradition to develop students’ faith lives and stimulate a search for meaning and truth.” (Horizons of Hope – Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools)
The Catholic Identity of St Monica’s defines who we are and what we value as a school community. It underpins all that we say and do. Our school embraces diversity, enhances personal faith and promotes a deepening knowledge of Jesus Christ through Scripture and Tradition.
Religious Education is set by the Archdiocese of Melbourne and is the foundation of our Catholic Identity. It is both explicitly taught through mandated lessons each week and intrinsically taught in our relationships and everyday interactions, where we model the teachings of Jesus.
As we continue to search what it means to be Catholic in today’s world, we are constantly re-contextualising our faith so that it is relevant and valued in a contemporary society. Whilst we promote our Catholic Faith, we are also very aware of the many faiths around the world. We encourage our students to investigate the similarities between our own faith and the faith of others. We believe that our Catholic faith can be enriched when we open ourselves to the stories of others. We also believe that the foundation of all Catholic Social Teaching is the inherent dignity of the human person, as created in the image and likeness of God.
During the year children participate in various school liturgies and paraliturgies celebrations. Parents have an open invitation to all of these celebrations and are encouraged to participate in them.
Sacraments
Children are prepared for the sacraments from the beginning of their school life at St Monica’s. During the year the sacraments of Reconciliation (Confession) Eucharist (Communion) and Confirmation are celebrated.
- Reconciliation is celebrated in Grade 3
- Eucharist is celebrated in Grade 4
- Confirmation is celebrated in Grade 6
Social Justice
‘Never tire of working for a more just world, marked by greater solidarity’ Pope Francis
As a Catholic school, we believe it is a necessary response to the Gospel call of Jesus to build a more just and fair world through acts of kindness, compassion and generosity.
Consequently, our Religious Education program places a strong emphasis on Social Justice; the belief that all people have a right to live with dignity and an equal share of the world’s resources.
Each topic taught in the Religious Education program has a Social Justice component. From Foundation to Year 6, students are inspired to “take action” in either a local or global context.
One of the key resources in the education of students in Social Justice is the Caritas Australia website. Through this website, students are introduced to the Sustainable Development Goals, the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and Project Compassion, which is an annual campaign to raise awareness and money to end poverty.