In 2004, Principal John Carroll and the School Board discerned the notion of Covenant to capture the Purpose and Spirit of the school Founders and to provide Vision, Values and Commitments to guide future pathways. In 2023, St Catherine’s Staff continues to celebrate all that has underpinned and been achieved in the first 50 years of St Catherine’s School and we set our sails with Hope for the next 50 years with a recontextualized St Catherine’s Covenant.
Our commitment to the Presentation Charism is renewed through the NEW 2023 Covenant. We are very proud to unveil and launch our new Covenant as part of our 50 Year celebration.
St Catherine’s is here today because it all started with Nano Nagle who said, ‘If I try and succeed, I will know that it is God’s will. So I am going to try. I will leave the rest in his hands’.
Nano established her first school for the poor in 1754, in a rented mud cabin in Cove Lane, in defiance of the law, and in complete secrecy for fear of persecution and in three years, she had 8 schools operating. Service to others requires that we focus on the people around us, or as Nano Nagle would say “Deeds not Words”.
Her deeds now mean that there are hundreds of schools across the world that are founded in the light of Nano and the Presentation Sisters.
Nano’s passion for the poor
Her fight for justice to change the structures that kept people poor
Her zeal to do all in her power every day
Her courage in the face of fear
Her trust in divine providence...
are all found in our School Covenant’s FIVE guiding lights.
Living Faith is finding opportunities big and small, every day, to show compassion for the sick, the poor, to make a difference to one, a few, or many.
Quality Relationships which are only as good as the communication and honesty that we entrust to those around us to ensure we are able to move forward in our journey of life.
Potential of the Individual means being open to new experiences to become the best version of yourself.
Global Stewardship is making a commitment to care for the wander and brilliance that is our world.
Power of Hope means making the most of every day and knowing that the love of God is with you always, filling you with courage, zeal and justice just as Nano was, to Create Change for a Better World. A rainbow is a sign of HOPE after the storm. It is a reminder of God’s promise/covenant to always be by our side in times of struggle.
Each guiding light and the underpinning values represent the model of action lived as an image of God, an image we see each and every day in our community.
To accompany our Covenant poster we have created a Covenant Book that will help to bring these guiding lights to life for our community. The booklet describes the St Catherine’s story, our story, our commitment to the Religious Life of the School with scripture references, prayers and quotes to fill us with Hope for the future.
© Brisbane Catholic Education, St Catherine's Catholic Primary School (2023)