Religious Education

Religious Education is at the heart of our school mission at Our Lady of Lourdes. Education in a
Catholic school seeks transformation of the whole person so that those in the school community are
empowered to shape and enrich our world by living the Gospel of Jesus in their everyday lives. The
Our Lady of Lourdes faith community is further infused with the ethos and charism of the Sisters of
St Joseph. All members of the Our Lady of Lourdes school community live out the school motto
Together We Journey With God.
In line with the Brisbane Catholic Education Vision for Religious Education, Religious Education exists
in two distinct yet complementary dimensions at Our Lady of Lourdes:
Religion Curriculum- the Classroom teaching and learning of religion
The Religious Life of the School community
Religion Curriculum
The curriculum area of Religious Education is taught in accordance with the Religious Education
Archdiocese of Brisbane Curriculum, P-12. Religious Education at Our Lady of Lourdes seeks to
develop the religious understanding of students in light of the Catholic Christian tradition, so that
they might participate authentically in contemporary life.
The Religion Curriculum has four strands. Each of these strands comprises three distinct yet
interrelated sub-strands:
Sacred Texts: Old Testament, New Testament, and Christian Spiritual Writings and Wisdom.
Beliefs Trinity: God, Jesus the Christ, Spirit; Human Existence; and World Religions.
Church: Liturgy and Sacraments, People of God, and Church History.
Christian Life: Moral Formation; Mission and Justice; and Prayer and Spirituality.
Religious Life of the School
The Religious Life of the School P-12 is focused on the second dimension of Religious
Education, commonly referred to as teaching people to be religious in a particular way (Moran,
1991).
The Religious Life of the School P-12 comprises four interrelated components. Each of these strands
comprises three distinct yet interrelated sub-strands:
Religious Identity and Culture: developing the schools ethos and charism; building
authentic Christian community; and creating a sense of the sacred.
Evangelisation and Faith Formation: living the gospel; spiritual formation; and witness to the
wider community.
Prayer and Worship: Christian prayer; celebrating liturgy and sacraments; and ritualising
everyday life.
Social Action and Justice: justice in the school community; action for justice; and reflection
on action for justice.

Religious Identity and Culture
Our Lady of Lourdes School was founded by the Sisters of Saint Joseph; therefore, we recognise the
charism (qualities and values) of Saint Mary MacKillop within our school community. Our school is
named Our Lady of Lourdes, a name given to Mary the mother of Jesus when she appeared to a
young girl many times in a French village named Lourdes. As a school community we celebrate the
Feast days of Our Lady of Lourdes and Mary MacKillop and teach about the charisms of Mary
MacKillop and Mary.

Evangelisation and Faith Formation
We live the gospel of Jesus Christ by trying to act as Jesus would and following Jesus golden rule to
love one another. This rule is at the heart of our school wide behaviour plan. Students learn about
Jesus and are given the opportunity to show how they can give witness to the wider community.
Altar Serving Program
Students in Year 4 and above are invited to take part in the Altar Serving Program. This program
provides children with opportunities to grow in their faith through the practise of altar serving at
both school and parish masses. Students are supported in this program by members of the parish.

Prayer and Worship
At Our Lady of Lourdes School, students participate in daily prayer in their classrooms. Staff
members at Our Lady of Lourdes also gather together for prayer each week. Once a term, each year
level is provided with the opportunity to lead a whole-school prayer assembly. These are held each
Monday afternoon in the Penola Centre. Prayer assemblies provide classes with opportunities to
celebrate significant days on our liturgical calendar, to address important social justice issues within
our community and to commemorate special days such as ANZAC Day, Mothers Day and
Grandparents Day. As we value the celebration and sharing of our faith with the whole school
community, parents and caregivers are welcomed and encouraged to attend.
Once a term, each year level is provided with an opportunity to celebrate the Catholic faith with the
Our Lady of Lourdes school community through the leading of a mass or prayer celebration. Staff
and students are called upon to take part in the celebration of significant days in our liturgical year
including Our Lady of Lourdes Feast Day, Ash Wednesday and the Feast of the Assumption. Masses
are also held to celebrate the start and end of the school year. As with prayer assemblies, parents
and caregivers are welcomed and encouraged to attend and share in these celebrations.
Sacramental Program
The Sacramental Program is a parish-based program facilitated by the Our Lady of Lourdes Parish.
Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist are called the Sacraments of Initiation. At Baptism a person
begins their process of initiation into the Church and into a parish community. This process will
culminate in the reception of the Sacraments of Penance, Confirmation and Eucharist. Students who
are in Year 3 and above are eligible to be part of the Sacramental Program. Children are also
supported in their preparation for the reception of the sacraments by the Religious Education
Program in the school. Information about the Sacramental Program is provided through both the
parish and school newsletter.

Social Action and Justice
Applying social action and justice requires two important dispositions: empathy (the capacity to
stand in the shoes of another) and solidarity (the capacity to walk with another). At Our Lady of
Lourdes School we strive to build these dispositions in students through programs for service
learning, social justice programs and outreach experiences.
At Our Lady of Lourdes School we promote Social Justice through our support of Catholic agencies
including Caritas (particularly through Project Compassion during Lent), Catholic Mission and St
Vincent de Paul.