Gina+Bennewith+-+St+Anthony's+Deeragun

At present, St Anthony Catholic College is Prep to 12 co-educational college located at Deeragun, Townsville. The college charism is founded on the Franciscan Friars. St Anthony himself was so impressed by the Franciscan way of life that he left his original order and joined St Francis and the friars. Our college fosters an environment where each person is valued and respected as an individual. Personal growth is of paramount importance when intertwined with gospel values and the spirit of St Francis of Assisi.
 * Situational Analysis – St Anthony Catholic College, Derragun. **

This year has been a very rewarding and exciting year for our community as the college is finally complete, with its first cohort of Year 12 students graduating in 2009. The college continues to attract many new families and the student population has grown to over 960. The college is split into two campuses, Padua is currently Prep to Year 6 and Assisi (1.5 km away) is Year 7 to Year 12.

Our college is also subject to the many challenges faced in 21st Century Australia. The families enrolled at St Anthony’s are predominately from a Catholic backgrounds, however, this is declining with an increasing number of enrollments from non-Catholic and non-practicing Catholic families. We have a small number of Indigenous enrolments but are hoping for this to double in the next few years. Consumerism, family dysfunction, values disorientation and fewer families attending mass are some effects felt within churches and inside the dynamics of Catholic education on all levels (Bishops of NSW and the ACT, 2007, p.8). This is also evident within the culture at St Anthony’s.

Our college is extremely privileged to have a close relationship with the school parish and local Priest, Father Giles. His presence is welcomed during liturgies; whole school masses, class visits, sporting carnivals, and special calendar days. Having him as a valuable resource can promote the schools charism to a heightened level and this as Brien & Hack explain, can promote opportunities for the charism to speak to the hearts of those in the community (2005; Putney, 2008).

The Assisi campus is undergoing major population growth and building development expansion to cater for the local demographics in the area. Therefore, the college is changing rapidly to meet the physical and social demands of this change. It is important for the administration team, staff and the wider community to maintain the same vision and mission for the college despite these modern and ever changing times. It is now that we must be strong and united with the church when faced with these challenges in the 21st Century. As Putney explains, “The complexity of the modern world makes it all the more necessary to increase awareness of the ecclesial identity of the Catholic school” (2005, p. 393).

References:

Bishops of NSW and the ACT (2007). //Catholic Schools at Crossroads// - Pastoral Letter of the Bishops of NSW and the ACT, PN2266.

Brien, S. and Hack, J. (2005) Charism in the Catholic school: A workable twenty-first century model. //Journal of Religious Education//, 53(1), 70-84.

Putney, M.E. (2008). Catholic identity and mission. In //Identity and Mission in Catholic Agencies//. St Pauls Publications, Strathfield, NSW.

Putney, M.E. (2005). The Catholic school of the future, //The Australasian Catholic Record//, 82(4). pp.387-398.