Catholic Identity

College Prayer 

Dearest Lord,
Lift us high on Eagles’ wings,
teach us to be Strong in Faith,
St John the Evangelist guides us to live Your Word,
giving witness to compassion and courage,
welcome and truth.
Amen
St John the Evangelist – Pray for Us
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved – forever!

St John’s Catholic College draws its charism from two religious orders, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) and the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH). Our spiritual founder, Father Jules Chevalier was a French Catholic priest who was born in Richelieu, France in 1824. Father Chevalier was ordained a priest in 1851 and founded the MSC in 1854 and the OLSH in 1874 in Issoudun, France. He died in 1907. Father Chevalier had a deep devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and believed that the whole of creation is the gift of God’s love, and that everything that exists is being sustained and cared for by God’s tender compassionate care.

St John’s Catholic College was founded in 1960 and is one five MSC founded secondary schools in Australia: Downlands College, Toowoomba, Queensland (1931), Chevalier College, Bowral, New South Wales (1946), Monivae College, Hamilton, Victoria (1954), and Daramalan College, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (1962).                                                   

Saint John the Evangelist is the patron saint of the College. He is also known as John the Apostle and is one of the most prominent figures in the New Testament. He is attributed as the author of the Gospel of John, which is one of the four canonical Gospels in the Bible. John was one of Jesus’ closest disciples and is often referred to as ‘John the Beloved’.

St John’s Catholic College is a place of welcome and belonging with students and staff from all faith backgrounds. All students and staff openly and freely choose to join our Catholic Community whereby the following form part of life of the College:

• A Catholic Community guided and inspired by Gospel values and the teachings of Jesus
• School Prayer
• Masses and Liturgies
• Signs and Symbols Catholic in nature
• College Calendar following the Liturgical Year of the Catholic Church
• Compulsory study of Religious Education as an academic subject (Year 7 – Stage 2)

The College regularly gathers to celebrate important events and feasts days in the liturgical year of the Catholic Church. This includes several Masses that take place off campus in parishes around Darwin during the school week. Attendance is expected by all students and staff:

• Opening Mass – Term 1
• Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus – Term 2
• Feast of the Assumption of Mary – Term 3
• Founder’s Day Mass – Term 4
• Valedictory Mass – Term 4