St Laurence’s College and 39 other schools in Australia operate within a framework of common values and are linked through their commitment to the Charter for Catholic Schools in the Edmund Rice Tradition.
The Edmund Rice charism as the foundation of our College
Edmund Rice: A man of Faith and Action
Core to the life of Blessed Edmund Rice was his faith, his vocation was firmly fixed on the role that Jesus played in showing us how to live. Several times a day, he would recite the phrase 'Live Jesus in our Hearts Forever', always ensuring that this was the focus.
As a man of faith, he had a vision for a world that was inclusive of all. This manifested itself in his life through his compassionate engagement with others, particularly the poor and vulnerable.
Following tragedy in his life, through prayer, he discerned a way forward that was to see him develop an educational system that sought to ‘raise people up’ in society, advocating for all so that they could participate fully in the world in which they lived. His legacy of educating young people to Live Jesus in their hearts so as to be compassionate advocates for others, is one of the cornerstones of education at St Laurence’s College as articulated in the Charter for Catholic Schools in the Edmund Rice Tradition.
The Icon (pictured right), commissioned in the 1980s by the Christian Brothers, shows Desmond Kyne’s interpretation of Edmund Rice, his faith, his love, his achievements and his greatness.
Edmund Rice Education Australia
St Laurence’s College and over 50 schools and Flexible Learning Centres form the network known as Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) operating within a framework of common values linked through a commitment to the Charter for Catholic Schools in the Edmund Rice Tradition.
Established in October 2007, EREA was a significant outcome of deliberations following the Christian Brothers International Congregation Chapter of 2002, that acknowledged the importance of the Mission of the Christian Brothers through education and other ministries. This led to the establishment of two new project groups, the National Planning Committee for Schools Governance and Shaping our Future Committee, Oceania.
In 2006, as a result of the work of these two groups, the Christian Brothers decided to amalgamate separate Christian Brothers Provinces in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea to form the Oceania Province, focusing on the social justice mission of the Christian Brothers. Separately, Edmund Rice Education Australia was established with the intention of independently implementing the educational mission of the Christian Brothers.
Today the Edmund Rice Education Australia Board, through a National Executive based in Richmond Melbourne, governs these schools and flexible learning centres nationally.
Click here to learn more about the EREA.
The Charter
EREA schools strive to offer a liberating education, based on a gospel spirituality, within an inclusive community committed to justice and solidarity.
A renewed Charter for the EREA network was launched in September 2017. This Charter assists each school to develop an identity as a Catholic School in the Edmund Rice Tradition by providing a guide for the authentic and practical expression of Edmund Rice charism.
This is articulated as four touchstones: Liberating Education, Gospel Spiritualty, Inclusive Community and Justice and Solidarity. In this way, schools aspire to share in the prophetic mission of the Catholic Church to continue the work of Jesus and bring good news to the poor.
Click here to view the renewed Charter document.
Touchstones
Liberating Education
We open hearts and minds, through quality teaching and learning experiences, so that through critical reflection and engagement each person is hope-filled and free to build a better world for all.
Inclusive Community
Our community is accepting and welcoming, fostering right relationship and committed to the common good.
Gospel Spirituality
We invite all people into the story of Jesus and strive to make his message of compassion, justice and peace a living reality within our community.
Justice and Solidarity
We are committed to justice and peace for all, grounded in a spirituality of action and reflection that calls us to stand in solidarity with those who are marginalised and the Earth itself.
Commitment to Reconciliation
We acknowledge the Aboriginal Peoples as the Traditional Owners of the Countrys on which our schools and offices are located. We also acknowledge the Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the Traditional Owners of the Torres Strait Islands.
We pay our respects to Ancestors, Elders and leaders of the future, as well as to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of the EREA community.
Edmund Rice Education Australia values the spiritual connectedness and relatedness to Country and to all living systems of the world’s oldest, continuous living cultures – Sovereign Countrys never ceded.
We value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowings, and recognise and honour their stories, cultures and achievements, as we walk together for mutual liberation and a truth-telling history for all Australians. In this spirit, we are accepting the invitation contained in the Uluru Statement from the Heart to listen to the First Peoples of Australia and to work together for reconciliation, justice, equity and healing.
Click here to discover more about our Commitment to Reconciliation
Faith in Justice
Faith and Justice are at the heart of a Catholic School in the Edmund Rice Tradition.
The faith experience is inclusive of the Religious Life of the College as well as the Religious Education Curriculum expressed in our spiritual, liturgical and educational life. Justice is the principle and motivation for relationships and the Faith in Action program within the College. The holistic development of each boy is at the centre of the Catholic culture of the College.
Identity, Spirituality and the Religious Life of the College
The Identity area at St Laurence’s College includes:
- Development of Spirituality through the Sacramental, Liturgical, Prayer and Formation Life of the School
- The Religious Education Program
- The Faith in Action Program and initiatives
We work together to engage in opportunities to show our faith in action to ‘live Jesus in our hearts, forever’.
Validation
As a member of the Brisbane Archdiocese, all Catholic schools participate in a validation process to demonstrate their lived expressions of faith.
St Laurence’s College shares and promotes the Vision for Religious Education articulated by Brisbane Catholic Education and the wider church. “We aspire to educate and form students who are challenged to live the gospel of Jesus Christ and who are literate in the Catholic and broader Christian tradition so that they might participate critically and authentically in faith contexts and wider society. As a Catholic Christian community, we educate all to live the gospel of Jesus Christ as successful, creative and confident, active and informed learners empowered to shape and enrich our world” (Brisbane Catholic Education Learning and Teaching Framework (2012): goal for learning and teaching).
Spirituality
All staff and students participate in the liturgical life of the College through daily prayer, Masses, various rituals for programs and events across the College, as well as reflection days and retreats.
Reflection days and retreat experiences aim to nurture spiritual growth over time. Each reflection day engages our students in activities that allow them to take some time to reflect on their lives, beginning with honouring and exploring the personal narrative of each individual’s experience of My Story, through to exploring the narrative of the Jesus Story that offers them a different perspective to form and inform their lives.
Religious Education
Our classroom learning and teaching of Religion is responsive to religious diversity, while being faithful to the Catholic Christian identity and the Edmund Rice charism of the College. Our students extend their classroom learning about Catholic Social Teaching with active participation and critical reflection on social justice initiatives.
Faith in Action Program
Faith in Action at St Laurence’s College empowers our students to be active, aware and engaged young men who will question the status quo and transform society to be a more just and equitable place.
Through their involvement in Faith in Action, our students build relationships in solidarity with our local and global community, while demonstrating true Christian values of compassion, respect and dignity.
For further information on the program, please click here to visit the Faith in Action page.
