Faith Development

St. Joseph’s College Religious Education Policy.
St. Joseph’s Patrician College is a Catholic School. The Religious Education Policy of the school reflects and is inspired by the philosophy of Bishop Daniel Delany, founder of the Patrician Brothers:
‘We place a high priority on the development of the religious faith of our students and we see the integration of life and faith as the ideal to aim for.’*
Guided by this vision, our Religious Education Policy will promote Faith Formation in the Catholic Faith alongside the Religious Education courses in our school. 

• R.E. is a core subject. Each class group will have 3 R.E. classes per week.
• The R.E. faculty will implement the recommended Religious Education Syllabus as outlined by the Dept. of Education and Science and agreed to by all Faith Communities in Ireland
• All students are obliged to participate in the R.E. class.
• All R.E. course work in the Junior School (1st, 2ndand 3rd Years) will be examined as per other core subjects. 
• R.E. teachers of Junior School students will meet parents of their students during   Parent/Teacher meetings.
• We will endeavour to keep up to date with the most effective Catechetical methods.
• The school Chaplain is a valued member of the R.E. faculty.
• In the event of not having a dedicated school Chaplain, we will facilitate the involvement of local priests/chaplains in our Faith Formation programmes.
• We will promote an attitude of prayerfulness and promote paraliturgies, which connect prayer and important life experiences.
• We will arrange for every class group to have its own class mass during the school year. 
• We will promote ‘Retreat’ experiences appropriate to the age of the students.
• The 6th Year R.E. Programme will have a high priority in the Senior School.
• The R.E. teachers will promote fundraising for nominated development projects in the developing world, with particular interest in Patrician projects.
• We will promote rituals and symbols, which evoke in our students a sense of the spiritual.
• Our school rituals will mark events within the Catholic calendar e.g. November Book of Remembrance, Advent Wreath, Lenten Ashes, May Altar et al.
• The R.E. teachers will work closely with the Pastoral Care Group in the school.
• All Faith Formation activities will reflect the doctrines, practices and traditions of the Catholic Church.
• Students of other Faiths are welcome to attend Faith Formation activities, but may be exempted if they so wish.

Catholic Faith Formation activities from which students of other Faiths may be exempted:         

Class masses, school retreats, prayers at the start of class.  Students of other Faiths may be placed    in another class group for the duration of class retreats and masses, unless they wish to attend these activities.
              *Extract from the Vision Statement of the Patrician Brothers 2000.