Catholic Identity & Mission News
‘Spirituality’ and ‘Religion’
Our current Year 9 unit of study in RE (CRA) is ‘Aboriginal Spirituality’. One of the first things we work to understand is the difference between ‘spirituality’ and ‘religion’. It’s not uncommon to hear people call themselves ‘spiritual’ while distancing themselves from ‘religion’. Generally speaking, spirituality can be defined as an intrinsic human desire to connect with, and be nourished by, something deeper than ourselves which is more trustworthy than our own egos. People’s spirituality can be expressed through things like art, culture, nature, relationships and of course, religion. Religions are defined as such because they contain aspects such as beliefs, rituals, sacred stories, ethics, texts, social structures and spiritual experiences. It’s fair to say that one is very unlikely to be religious without having a strong sense of spirituality.
Tapping into one’s spirituality is the purpose of our Reflection Day/Retreat programs and our Staff Spirituality Day. We have just held our annual Year 10 Reflection Days where the theme is ‘Identity and Belonging’. Students are invited to consider their life journeys - past, present, and future. The Cranbourne cohort enjoyed their Reflection Day on 26 July 2022 while Clyde North students participated in their day on 4 August 2022. One activity was where students were asked to bring an artifact, either physically or via a photo. The criteria for the artifact was that it should be something they would try to save if they had to get out of their house in a hurry! As an activity aimed at tapping into their spirituality, it was a fascinating exercise. Students brought items such as guitars, gifts from grandparents, rosary beads, photos and keepsakes. It was a starting point to consider what they value and why, and how it relates to the greater meaning of their identity and belonging. These were extended through activities related to their present circumstances and what they hoped for the future. All of this was placed in the context of Jesus and how our current pope, Pope Francis, continues to spread the Good News of the Gospel.
The Good News will continue as next Friday, 12 August 2022, the St. Peter’s College staff will enjoy their annual Staff Spirituality Day. The day is made up of four sessions of which staff will choose two topics of their own interest and participate in two sessions facilitated for all staff. The first of these will focus on ‘Peter and Francis – Towards a more Synodal Church’. The early Christians, led by St. Peter, founded a community and culture that became known as the Catholic religion. Our religion has many formal aspects that distinguish it from the spirituality from which it grew. The promotion of greater synodality by Pope Francis celebrates the richness of our tradition and harks back to the early Church where it was recognised that everyone is a child of God and therefore should be able to have a say. The recent Plenary Council in Australia, and its robust debates, demonstrates that synodality is back on the agenda!
Opportunities to grow in knowledge and understanding, and to have time to reflect on our faith (and all that it encompasses) is so vital to spiritual growth. Taking time out to do so, whether it be students or staff, is a vital part of Catholic education and helps to develop the whole person. And the age of that person is irrelevant for it does us all good to spend time thinking about the past, present and future and allowing our loving God to speak to our hearts and minds.
Fiona McKenna
Deputy Principal - Catholic Identity & Mission