Chaplaincy
No limits... Just possibilities
Catholic Life and Mission
As a Catholic community, the person of Jesus Christ, his life, teachings and his Paschal Mystery, through which we are saved, are at the heart of all we do. Our Mission Statement, ‘Christ in Our Lives, No Limits, Just Possibilities’ embodies what we seek to do at St Joseph’s in nurturing our students and caring for all within our community and beyond.
The Religious Education curriculum (To Know you more Clearly) seeks to introduce students to the person of Jesus Christ with the hope that, through learning, they will come to relationship. Within this, we seek to foster appreciation of ‘the other’, of all peoples of all faiths or none. Prayer and Liturgy (To Love you more Dearly) are also at the heart of what we do, introducing and developing the students’ and staff’s experience of prayer and its liturgical expressions within the Catholic Tradition.
Catholic Social Teaching
“Our faith calls us to love God and to love our neighbours in every situation, especially our sisters and brothers living in poverty. Following in the footsteps of Christ, we hope to make present in our unjust and broken world, the justice, love and peace of God.” (CAFOD)
There are seven principles of Catholic Social Teaching:
Dignity
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.
Solidarity
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 brothers and sisters, especially those living in poverty.
The Common Good
The common good means that the fruits of the earth belong to everyone. No one should be excluded from the gifts of creation.
Option for the Poor
The option for the poor reminds us of God’s preferential love for the poorest and most vulnerable people. God’s love is universal; he does not side with oppressors, but loves the humble.
Peace
Peace is a cornerstone of our faith. Christ, the Prince of Peace, sacrificed himself with love on the cross.
Creation and the Environment
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, ‘Laudator Si’. 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.
The Dignity of Work and Participation
The dignity of work is a key principle of Catholic social teaching and advocates the rights of all people. Since then, Church teaching has upheld the dignity of work and participation. 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 participation.