Our Faith Pillar 

Developing the faith of our students lies at the heart of our mission and purpose at St Matthews. As such, there are a variety of faith opportunities for students including retreats, prayer, social justice initiatives and a robust religious education curriculum. The foundation of faith formation at our school is our rich Catholic identity which is articulated in answering the call to be more and follow Jesus just as St Matthew, our school Patron, did. This call to be more in our everyday interactions is lived as the ‘St Matthews Way’. Underpinning this Way are our core values of Excellence, Respect, Compassion, Service and Courage.

Students are encouraged to embrace this both communally through their participation in the Catholic life of the school and individually by using their gifts for the betterment of others.  St Matthews provides retreat days to allow students opportunities to reflect on themselves and their relationship with God. The Primary School Retreat Program helps students understand their place in the life of the church and school community, foster an understanding of ‘St Matthews Way’, and meet the sacramental preparation needs of students. The Secondary School Retreat Program leads students into a deeper understanding of our Christian faith using the values of ‘St Matthews Way’ as focal points.  Students at St Matthews are provided with a variety of outreach opportunities of witness to the Christian call to love our neighbour. This includes a range of annual awareness campaigns associated with Caritas Australia, Catholic Mission and St Vincent de Paul.

Religious Education classes also provide students with meaningful links between the teachings of the Church and their lived experience. In Primary School this includes sacramental preparation of students in unison with St Mary’s Parish. In Secondary school students are invited to participate in the St Vincent de Paul conference. Various service opportunities across both campuses are offered and participated in throughout the year.

Finally, the faith life of the school can be seen through prayer and worship at St Matthews.  Students are exposed to a variety of forms of prayers which include Christian meditation and the daily recitation of the Angelus. In addition, a whole school Mass is celebrated at least once a term and each Year level attends weekday Mass in the Parish Church or School Chapel at least once a term. Through these faith formation opportunities St
Matthews aims to instill in students a rich appreciation for the Catholic tradition, an awareness of God’s mercy and love, and the courage to respond to Christ’s invitation to answer the call to be more.