Religion and Family Life
Wellington Catholic District School Board's Foundations of Practice has at its core the belief that each person is a gift from God, full of potential and promise.
Inspired by the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, we are committed to providing a caring and safe environment that respects and celebrates the uniqueness and dignity of all persons.
We believe that faith development is the responsibility of parish, family and school, and that each partner in faith encourages and supports students to achieve the ideals set out in the Catholic Graduate Expectations.
Our Catholic culture, teachings and ministry are infused beyond the curriculum into all aspects of school life. In addition, schools regularly celebrate Mass together, strengthen community through retreat and are committed to living out Christ's ministry of service to others.
“… We need to remember that all religious teaching ultimately has to be reflected in the teacher's way of life, which awakens the assent of the heart by its nearness, love and witness” (42). Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel) (2013)
Wellington Catholic educators and staff, living their faith, serve as everyday role models.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RELIGION AND FAMILY LIFE PROGRAM
Our Elementary Religious Education and Family Life Education programs are provided by the Institute of Catholic Education (ICE).
Students receive daily instruction in Religious/Family Life Education, through their classroom teacher. In addition, school Mass, retreats, and service projects support each child's faith journey.
To support our Religious Education curriculum, we currently use the Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ programs for grades 1-7, and the Born of the Spirit/We Are Strong Together for grade 8. These core resources are supported by the Catholic Bishops of Ontario. Grades 1-8 will be using the Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ program by September 2021.
The Family Life Education curriculum is supported by our Fully Alive program, which includes core resources approved through the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. Family Life Education, as it is represented in Fully Alive, is intended to pass on a distinctively Catholic view of human life, sexuality, marriage, and family. Its goal is to complement the efforts of families and to support what parents are doing at home. Information on the Family Life Education/Fully Alive program can be found on the Institute for Catholic Education website, by clicking here.
SECONDARY SCHOOL RELIGION COURSES
The Secondary Religious Education document is the foundation of our secondary school courses, offered each year.
Students of all faiths are welcome to attend Wellington Catholic Secondary Schools. Each student is expected to participate in every aspect of school life including attending Mass and taking part in faith-based activities, programs and courses as part of their educational journey.
Each year of high school, it is mandatory to acquire a course credit in religious studies. Spiritual retreats and other faith-based events throughout the school year assist and support students in their faith journey.
The secondary Religious Education courses are as follows:
Grade 9: Discipleship and Culture
Grade 10: Christ and Culture
Grade 11: Faith and Culture: World Religions
Grade 12: Church and Culture
Descriptions of these courses can be found in the Wellington Catholic DSB Course Calendar.
“Attending a Catholic high school has truly been an eye opening experience for me. I'm not Catholic...Attending Our Lady of Lourdes has opened my eyes to the many different faiths that our world is home to. Attending Lourdes, I have never felt pressured, or patronized only ever supported in my personal faith journey. I've enjoyed learning about the Catholic faith, and in our Grade 11 course, learning about others. Not being Catholic, but attending a Catholic school was an intimidating thought to me when entering Grade 9, however my fears were in vain. Lourdes is ever the welcoming, close-knit community, and truly lives up to the phrase, “There are no strangers here, only friends we have not met.”.