Catholic Social Teaching
Catholic Social Teaching at STM
Catholic Social Teaching is based on the belief that God has a plan for creation, a plan to build his kingdom of peace, love and justice.
It holds that God has a special plan for every single one of us, whoever we are. Our part in this plan isn’t just limited to things ‘spiritual’, or times when we do “religious things.” It involves every aspect of our lives, from the things we pray about, to how we live as a responsible global citizen.
Our part in this is a vocation for the common good, a call to treat everyone as our brothers and sisters. It is something that we all share.
The Catholic Church has principles of social teaching that we share with our children through all that we do, through the curriculum, special events and activity and through our ordinary actions in school. These principles include:
Human Dignity
Common Good
Participation
Subsidiarity
Stewardship
Solidarity
Preferential Option for the Poor
Distributive Justice
Promoting Peace
The animal mascots are used throughout the school during whole school assemblies, class worship and teachings in RE.
Catholic Social Teaching at STM
Human Dignity – Everyone is Special
“Human person are willed by God; they are imprinted with God’s image. Their dignity does not come from the work they do, but from the persons they are” Saint Pope John Paul II, On the Hundredth Year #11.
At STM we recognise the human dignity in others by:
being respectful
raising awareness of our rights
preferential option for the vulnerable
treating others fairly and equally.
The Common Good– Taking Part in our Communities
‘All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would...distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.’ Acts 2:44-45
At STM we show we are part of a community by:
working together
participating and engaging
working for the common good
being active members of our community.
Participation – The dignity of Work
‘Each of us has a part to play, a gift to share, a service to offer, for building up the Body of Christ in love.’
Pope Francis, June19, 2013
At STM we recognise the dignity of work by:
respecting all workers
supporting wellbeing and everyone's rights
contributing to society
making responsible economical choices.
Subsidiarity– All people Should have a Say
‘...together we want to give voice to all those who suffer, to all those who have no voice and are not heard.’ Pope
Francis, September 20, 2016
At STM we acknowledge our rights and responsibilities by:
understanding our own rights
following our school rules
living our mission
recognising our duties as members of the community.
Stewardship – Caring for God’s Creation and Gifts
Our earth is talking to us and we must listen to it and decipher its message if we want to survive.’
Pope Benedict XVI, July 24, 2007
‘...the world we have received also belongs to those who will follow us.’ Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ (Praise
be), #159, 2015
At STM we show care for creation by:
having awe and wonder for our natural world
making environmentally responsible choices
taking responsibility for our environment
contributing to sustainability in our environment.
Solidarity – We are One Big Family
‘The word ‘solidarity’...refers to something more than a few sporadic acts of generosity...[it is about] community and
the priority of the life of all...’ Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), #188, 2013
At STM we show solidarity by:
making socially responsible choices
praying for others
embarking on our role as Unicef ambassadors
making connections
raising awareness of social justice.
Option for the poor – Some People need Extra Help
“The [Option for the Poor] affects the life of each Christian as he or she seeks to imitate the life of Christ” St Pope
John Paul II, On Social Concern #42
At STM we show preferential option for the poor and vulnerable by:
fundraising for charitable causes
treating others with dignity and respect
raising awareness through Unicef Outright campaign
thinking of the needs of others.
Distributive Justice – Being Fair
‘...we are agreed today that the earth is essentially a shared inheritance, whose fruits are meant to benefit everyone.’
Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ (Praise be), #93, 2015
At STM we recognise the need to share the worlds resources by:
Sharing our belongs
all children have access to all the equipment needed
all children have resources dedicated to assist their need
all children are treated fairly and equally.
Promoting Peace – We can be God’s instruments of Peace
‘Today the world has a profound thirst for peace. In many countries, people are suffering due to wars which, though often forgotten, are always the cause of suffering and poverty.’ Pope Francis, September 20, 2016
At STM we show we are people of peace by:
using kind hands and feet
using kind words
treating others kindly
turning away from conflict
creating bonds between others.
CST work at STM
Year 6 - The current topic for Year 6 is Justice. The children have been looking at Oscar Romero and how he fought for justice for the homeless and poor. In our lesson, we have linked what Oscar Romero has fought for to our own lives and how we can use our rights and aspects of Catholic Social Teaching to help and make a change. We used readings linking to Human dignity, Solidarity and the Common Good. We have also completed work on Martin Luther King and linked our dreams to aspects of Catholic Social Teaching and our UNICEF rights.
