Religious Education

A Living Faith: Engaging Hearts and Minds

At St Catherine of Siena, Catholic education is more than just learning facts — it’s about inspiring students to explore life’s big questions with curiosity and faith. Our approach creates a dynamic learning environment where students engage in meaningful dialogue, deep reflection and real-world action, all guided by the Holy Spirit and Gospel values.

Our goal is to nurture a deep, personal relationship with God, encourage strong connections with others, foster a love for the Church and empower students to work toward a more just and compassionate world. Faith is not something separate from daily life — it is woven into every experience, forming a natural and meaningful connection between life, culture and religious belief.

Through prayer, reflection and service, students actively engage with the richness of the Catholic story and its traditions. Students at St Catherine of Siena are given the opportunity to take action, demonstrate compassion, consider others and strive to make a meaningful impact on the world.

Prayer and Liturgical Life

At St Catherine of Siena we make time to pray daily. In our multi-faith and diverse cultural context we respectfully invite all to prayer. Drawing from rich prayer traditions, a variety of ways of praying are encouraged: individual and communal, vocal and silent, informal and liturgical.  

Our school has developed a strong culture of liturgical celebration.  We have a number of whole school gatherings each term where we come together as a whole school to pray, celebrate and acknowledge important community and Church events.  All community members are welcome to attend our liturgical celebrations.

Learning and Teaching

Religious Education at St Catherine of Siena uses a holistic approach using the Vision for Instruction – Catholic Principles and the Religious Education Curriculum Framework (Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools).

Students seek meaning through the three dimensions outlined in the RE Curriculum:

• Knowledge and Understanding (Exploring scripture)

• Reasoning and Responding (Developing a personal understanding)

• Personal and Communal Engagement (Taking action, living the story)

These dimensions are used as a guide to further explore 5 content areas:

• Church & Community

• Scripture & Jesus

• Prayer, Liturgy and Sacraments

• God Religion and Life

• Morality & Justice

Sacramental Program

Sacramental education is a vital part of our Religious Education program at St Catherine of Siena. We believe that preparing to receive the Sacraments is a shared journey between the school, families, and Parish community, with each playing an important role in supporting the faith development of our students.

Sacramental learning is embedded across all year levels through our Religious Education curriculum, helping students to grow in their understanding of the Sacraments as they progress through the school. This is further supported by a Parish-based Sacramental Program, which includes an Enrolment  Process, a Presentation Mass, Family Faith Evening and celebration of the Sacrament

Together, these experiences help students prepare meaningfully for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation, deepening their connection to their faith and the wider Church community.