We follow the model of Jesus Christ as provided in the Gospels and within the framework of the charism of the Josephite tradition as founded by Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop and Father Julian Tenison Woods.
The Josephite Charism encourages a love of learning, an active faith life and upholding the dignity of all students. Here at Mount St. Joseph Girls’ College, we seek to provide students with numerous opportunities that explore the sacred in their lives.
Students engage in an annual retreat program that supports their ongoing faith formation. Our retreat programs acknowledge the individual's reality and brings the power of the Gospel alive in a contemporary manner that engages and empowers our students.
Students are also encouraged to grow in their faith through Religious Education classes, liturgical celebrations, and various social justice opportunities. Students are invited within all year levels to explore their personal spirituality, extend their religious knowledge and build upon their faith.
Our College has an active youth group, Youth in Action, who guide many of the liturgical celebrations within our community and beyond. Student voice within liturgy and faith is of great importance in our community.
As a Catholic learning community, all students are involved in Religious Education both in the form of formal classes within their learning program and through the Faith Retreat program that operate at each year level.
The College follows the Pedagogy of Encounter curriculum as outlined in Horizons of Hope, the educational framework for the Archdiocese of Melbourne.
At Years 7-10, the curriculum seeks to open up a more explicit dialogue between the Catholic faith and the diverse cultures and lives of students, find new ways to express the Gospel as alive and authentic, and engage in rich and meaningful experiences of prayer.
Years 11 and 12 have the opportunity to engage in the VCE Religion and Society Units 1 to 4 as well as Texts and Traditions Units 1 to 4, or a school-based curriculum with units focusing on exploring religion through ministry, art, music and ethics.
The Religious Education programs are designed to meet students where they are on their faith journey and nurture the depth and breadth of their knowledge about the Catholic tradition and other religious traditions.
Staff and students enjoy prayer and liturgy opportunities on many levels. Some of these opportunities include:
Daily Class Prayer
Pastoral Groups pray together every morning. Prayer is generally led by students and focuses on the needs or cause for thanks in our world, our families and our College.
Weekly School Prayer
As part of their Religious Class, students will have the opportunity to lead staff and their fellow students in a weekly prayer and reflection time in the school Chapel.
Eucharist and Liturgies
Staff and students are involved in celebrations of the Eucharist and other liturgies as classes, year levels and a whole school community.
Celebrations of the Eucharist together as a whole College community include:
Celebrations of liturgies together as a College community occur on a regular basis, including at every assembly and formal gathering. These liturgies are primarily student prepared and led, focusing on student ownership of faith experiences within our College.
