Religious Dimensions at Gleeson College

Gleeson College, in association with the local parishes of St David's Tea Tree Gully and Holy Trinity, and Para Hills Modbury Catholic Parish, have established a relationship which drew together the educational and parish programs of faith development and provided vital links between the Catholic Church and Gleeson College.

As a community of faith, the Gleeson College community believes that God is active through each individual person, and that by coming to better understand life, we can discover how God is acting in our lives. Living within a "Faith-filled Community" is evidenced through our College values.

CSYMA

At Gleeson College we believe that young people are not only the future of the Church, but are an extremely important part of the contemporary Church. As integral components of today's Church, students at Gleeson College are provided with opportunities to minister to each other and to people in the wider community. In this way they are able to broaden their view of religion and what it means to be Catholic.

CSYMA students at Gleeson College facilitate relationships with students by acting as role models. It is hoped that through participation in various activities throughout their College life, the influence of these role models will have an impact in positively influencing the lives of younger people.

Retreats

All students in each year level participate in annual Retreats. These are facilitated by teachers and CSYMA leaders and enable students to reflect on their lives and explore the presence of faith at a deeper level. Retreats are generally linked to scripture through themes and include various activities.

The Year 11 and 12 Retreats encompass three-day experiences. This allows students to reflect on their faith away from their everyday routines. Students are encouraged to consider their relationship with God and to explore the potential of Jesus Christ as a central part of their lives. Teachers and Youth leaders share their own stories to encourage students to reflect on the important parts of their own lives. Senior Retreats are generally a highlight of each student's time at Gleeson College.

Social Justice: Faith in Action

Students are welcome to participate in numerous activities offered at Gleeson College, enabling them to answer the "call to serve". Opportunities are provided where the College community is able to collaboratively support initiatives which serve to develop the qualities of giving "With One Heart". These activities provide students, staff and the wider community the opportunity to follow in the shadow of the cross as we fight injustices in our world, as Jesus did.

Membership with the CSYMA has inspired a number of Gleeson College students to organise numerous activities throughout the year in their service of mission. This group provides students with a forum in which they can collaborate with other students from other Catholic schools nationwide and develop further relationships in their mission to serve others.

Community Outreach

All Gleeson College students participate in a week of Community Service during Year 11. This is organised to extend relationships within the local community. We are grateful to the numerous local organizations who accept the offer of support from our students, allowing students to experience immersion in activities giving back to the community. This reflects our College value of "Service to Others" and provides a basis for extending into the community through "Life-long learning".

Compassion as a College value is clearly evidenced by the amount of money and goods that are collected through various activities, for example participation in the Relay for Life, Winter Appeal and the collection of goods for Christmas Hampers in order to help our wider community.

We continue to serve and support Caritas Australia through Project Compassion events and our annual Gleeson Day. Caritas Australia is important to the identity of Gleeson College as our patron, Archbishop James Gleeson, established Caritas Australia and encouraged its support of local and overseas communities.

Gleeson College recognises the importance of allowing students to "serve others" and continually strives to provide meaningful opportunities with a diversity of programs to ensure that this is achieved.

A Catholic Community

Pope Francis has said "to educate is an act of love, it is to give life. And love is demanding. It calls for using the best resources, for awakening passions and for great patience Young people are in need of quality teaching, together with values not just enunciated but witnessed".

At Gleeson College, we endeavour to fulfil the College's vision through the Gleeson Ten Core Values. Each one permeates through our mission to grow and flourish as a Catholic Eucharistic community. As a Religious Education faculty, we utilise both the curriculum and our mission to embrace our Catholic identity to develop thriving young people, capable learners and leaders for the world that God desires. Being a faith filled community truly captures who we are and what we strive to do and be. Our founder, Archbishop Gleeson's desire that we be of one heart and provide charitable works of service to others is reflected in our daily lives at Gleeson College.

·         Promote the love of God, the example of Jesus and the legacy of Archbishop Gleeson.

·         Support the identity and mission of the Catholic Church.

·         Engage students in programs which are underpinned by the Gospels of Jesus Christ.

·         Embrace and nurture the spiritual and faith development of our community.

Prayer and reflection are central to the faith life of Gleeson College, as are liturgical celebrations, retreats, prayer experiences and school Masses. These become significant in building our Catholic identity as a College community and give our students and staff ways to engage, discover and deepen their spirituality and faith.

Religious Education at Gleeson supports and empowers students to gain knowledge and understanding of our Catholic faith. Our students are invited to live as active and informed citizens in the wider world by developing experiences through social justice, world religions, moral and ethical decision making and youth ministry. Religious Education and Catholic Mission and Identity of our College do not stand alone. They are integral in the ways we interact with others, represent ourselves and reconcile our differences and those of others.

We strive to Act Justly, Love Tenderly and Walk Humbly in ways that will support our journey to be committed, important and valued members of the Gleeson Catholic community.

This is what God asks of you:

To act justly
To love tenderly
To walk humbly
With your God.
Micah 6:8