Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is rooted in scripture, formed by the wisdom of the church leaders, and influenced by the Catholic faith. It is the moral compass, guiding Catholics on how to live out their faith in the world through values and virtues.
- Values are your ideals, guiding principles, and standards of behaviour. They are aspirational goals that provide you with a moral compass for navigating choices and decisions.
- Virtues are your convictions. Values as lived and acted upon. At St Joseph's, our virtues are Faith, Hope and Love.
The vision of Christ shapes the policies and practices we follow in school. Through Liturgical Prayer, we ensure it is inclusive for all and seen as an invitation. By celebrating Christ’s presence through our Liturgical Prayer and education, we are able to provide a platform where children seek to aspire to make a world a better place.
CST is achieved by inspiring everyone to REACH through Faith, Hope and Love within and beyond our St. Joseph’s family. Our mission statement clearly states the core values we aspire to uphold each day and in turn as we journey through our school life, become key virtues, which allow us to be the best version of ourselves. By weaving CST throughout our curriculum, we follow in Pope Francis’ key message of the need to take these seven principles seriously and aim to live by them:
“An authentic faith-which is never comfortable or completely personal-always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better than we found it.”
Pope Francis
As we continue to grow and respond to the modern world, we look to breathe new life into the scriptures - led by the church - to successfully nurture and guide children to consider the seven principles, thus creating their moral compass.
We believe every human person is made in the image and likeness of God. This is a gift that we all share as fellow human beings; we are all infinitely loved by our Creator.
God is present in every human person, regardless of religion, culture, nationality, orientation or economic standing. Each one of us is unique and beautiful. We are called to treat every person and every creature with loving respect.
Year 6 met with two local councillors who play a crucial role in representing their communities and ensuring that services and policies are implemented in a way that benefits everyone, particularly in terms of fairness and equality.
We took part in a debate considering whether bus and train fairs should be free for under 16s and the children listened well and considered points.
Solidarity arises when we remember that we belong to each other. We reflect on this in a special way at Mass. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “The Eucharist commits us to the poor. To receive in truth the Body and Blood of Christ given up for us, we must recognise Christ in the poorest.”
Solidarity spurs us to stand side by side with our sisters and brothers, especially those living in poverty.
In the first pages of the Bible we read how God created the sun and the stars, the water and earth, and every creature. We believe Christ is the redeemer of all creation.
In 2015, Pope Francis brought together decades of Church teaching in the encyclical, Laudato Si’. In this deeply influential letter, Pope Francis invites everyone on the planet to consider how our actions are affecting the earth and the poorest people. Everything is interconnected, and all of creation praises God. It is our Christian vocation to care for creation.
Year 1 - Stewardship
Over the past few weeks the Year 1 children have been learning about the Catholic Social Teaching principle of 'Stewardship' and how we can take care of God's World. The children for their homework had the exciting opportunity for them to show what they have learnt! The children engaged in various tasks for their homework to celebrate how we take care of God's world and understand stewardship. Some went on a litter pick, helping to clean up their local environment and learn about the importance of keeping nature clean. Others created nature posters using natural materials, expressing their creativity while appreciating the beauty of the outdoors. Some watered plants, reinforcing the idea of nurturing living things, while others went on nature walks to observe and connect with their surroundings. Additionally, a few crafted nature sculptures using items they found during their explorations, showcasing their understanding of the gifts of God and their responsibility to care for them. Each activity highlighted different ways they can be stewards of God's creation.
The dignity of work has been a key principle of Catholic Social Teaching from the very beginning. The human person should always come before the pursuit of profit. Workers have the right to join trade unions, to a just wage, to spend time with their families and to rest. Work is an essential part of our human dignity and everyone has the right to participate.