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As a Jesuit school, St Aloysius’ College is committed to the traditional Jesuit principle of cura personalis - the care of the whole person. Apart from the physical and intellectual growth of our students, this also includes the development of their spiritual and religious dimensions.
The liturgical celebrations of the college are immeasurably enhanced by the generosity of numerous staff members who volunteer to prepare readers, altar servers etc. The College is blessed to have use of the stunning parish church of St Aloysius, administered by the Jesuit order. Combined with the wonderful musical scholae of the college, school liturgies give an experience of the transcendent.
However, the liturgical and sacramental experience of the students is not limited to the big school masses. The Sodality Chapel, in the Main Building, is the hidden gem of the college and provides an oasis for prayer and reflection. Regular masses and confessions here allow students to have a more personal experience of Church life.
Our Retreats programme is animated by another Ignatian principle: of allowing the Creator to work directly with the creature. These retreats offer a break from the hustle of daily life and give our students and staff the opportunity to reflect on the work of God in their experience. The more intimate and creative liturgies and reconciliation services on our retreats support the process.
Ultimately, all work in a Jesuit school is done for the greater glory of God: Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.
Tony McBride Director of Christian Formation
The Jesuit model of chaplaincy aims to set out, in a systematic and comprehensive way, the different areas of activity which are to be found in the chaplaincy of a Jesuit school. There are seven areas which fall under the umbrella of Cura Personalis or Pastoral Care. This concept also informs the College’s Pastoral system.
Christ is proposed as the model of human life. Everyone can draw inspiration and learn about commitment from the life and teaching of Jesus, who witnesses to the love and forgiveness of God, lives in solidarity with all who suffer and pours out his life in the service of others. (CJE 61)
Pupils and all staff are encouraged to take time to be aware of the presence of Christ in their lives. This may take a variety of forms, ranging from learning about Ignatian prayer techniques to participating in retreats or outreach activities and taking part in the daily Examen.
The Christian Formation Team works in conjunction with the Religious Education Department to help pupils develop a deeper understanding of Christ’s ministry and message in the context of the whole person. Both intellectual and spiritual formation are emphasised.
A Jesuit school is a community of faith, which expresses this faith through appropriate religious celebrations. (CJE
68)
Two weekly assemblies take place in St. Aloysius’ Church. Tuesday assemblies give the opportunity to reflect on the liturgical year, explore key issues in our society and pray for both the College and wider, world community. Friday assemblies focus on celebrating the successes that are part of the life of the community.
Members of the College regularly come together to celebrate the Eucharist. The beginning of the school year is marked by the Ascenscio Scholarum, and Masses are held for the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of St. John Ogilvie, the Resurrection, the Feast of the Ascension and the Feast of St Aloysius. These are significant occasions in the life of the College and often feature the College Scholae.
In the Senior School there are class and year group masses, designed to express the identity and concerns of each group. These typically take place within the school day and include a less formal style of liturgy. As pupils commence S1, there is an evening Mass for the Dedication of Studies, celebrated in St. Aloysius’ Church. Mass and Eucharistic services regularly takes place in the Sodality Chapel, giving pupils, parents and staff the opportunity to begin their day with prayer.
Talents and gifts are to be developed for the good of the human community (CJE 82)… Today our prime educational objective must be to form men and women for others (CJE 82)…There are opportunities in Jesuit education for actual contact with the world of injustice. (CJE 80)
St Aloysius’ College has an extensive community outreach programme which gives students and staff the framework in which to act on the Ignatian principle of going where the need is greatest. All are encouraged to become aware of those in our society who are marginalised. This includes the homeless, asylum seekers and those with additional support needs. This call to action sees pupils involved in service, awareness and fundraising for a wide range of organisations. In recent years this has included Mary’s Meals, Jesuit Missions, Visibility, the Bethany Christian Trust, Over the Wall, Buddies, the Jesuit Refugee Service, the Cardinal Winning Pro-Life Initiative, the Glasgow Northeast Foodbank, St Rollox Community Project, Refuweegee, and the College’s Environment Group amongst others.
As part of any outreach experience, those participating are called upon not simply to have the experience, but also to engage in a process of discernment, which allows them to become more aware of how God is present in their lives. They often find that He is there in the most unexpected places!
Pupils in S4 and upwards can choose to get involved in the College’s Children’s Fund, which provides activities and an annual holiday for disadvantaged and special educational needs children. There is also an annual pilgrimage to Lourdes which gives children with special educational needs holidays and their families respite.
Students in S5 and S6 may also choose to participate in the College’s Arrupe Programme. A typical feature in Jesuit schools and universities worldwide, this outreach initiative gives pupils the chance to volunteer in the community two hours each week in schools for children with additional support needs, care homes for the elderly, nurseries, community projects, and initiatives which support asylum seekers.
Participating in Arrupe requires you to be ready for anything, from playing Uno to baking a cake! Volunteering therefore, needs to be approached with an open mind and willingness to do whatever is asked of you. As Nelson Mandela said: ‘ As we let our light shine, then we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.’
In ways proper to a school, concrete experiences of church life are available to all students through participation in church projects and activities. (CJE 103)
The Caritas Award was introduced by the Bishops of Glasgow to maintain a legacy of Pope Benedict’s visit to the city in 2010. S6 pupils have the opportunity to commit their final year to service in the community, faith learning and reflection. Each year we have around thirty pupils participating in the award.
At the beginning of my Caritas experience I was unsure what Caritas meant and how the contents of a document written by the Pope would change my view of the world and my spiritual life. However, reflecting on my Caritas journey, our lessons in class and my volunteering, I have learned how to show love through action as well as observe the acts of love in my own life and see how I reap the benefits.
Dylan – OA
The Gonzaga Lectures were launched in the mid-1990s with a view to providing a forum for exploration and discussion of themes in contemporary Theology. We have been fortunate in the generosity of speakers including, Nigel Baker HM Ambassador to the Holy See, Br Guy Consolmagno Director of the Vatican Observatory, Quran Scholar Dr Sohaib Saeed, Professor Bart McGettrick Dean Emeritus of the Faculty of Education at Glasgow University, Dr. Raymond Perrier Director of the Dennis Hurley Centre in Durban amongst many others. The series takes place on the Wednesday of Lent each year for the College Community and the wider public.
THE
ROMERO CENTRE
The educational process has one common goal: the formation of a balanced person with a personally developed philosophy of life. (CJE 32)
In today’s world young people are faced with a multitude of challenges, ranging from the use of social media to poverty, injustice and an increasingly secular society. At St. Aloysius’ College students are encouraged to develop a habit of reflection and to ask the important questions about human existence and its meaning. In the context of Ignatian Spirituality they are also invited to engage in a process of discernment which allows them to reflect on the reality of their own experience and become aware of God’s presence in their lives.
Through the RE classes, outreach and retreats that I have taken part in I have been able to discuss my beliefs and challenge myself. My time at St Aloysius’ allowed me to grow in understanding of the world I live in as well as the God who made it. Attending a school where linking academics and faith is encouraged, as emphasised in the Jesuit pupil profile, has been a fantastic opportunity. I am particularly interested in the conflict that is often perceived to exist between science and religion. However, through discussions in school and my own personal reading I have come to realise that this conflict does not exist - in fact, through my interest in astronomy and physics I have been able to experience how structured and beautiful our universe is and this has only strengthened my faith in the God who created it. My school experience has shaped my life beyond the green blazer; at university I have continued to seek opportunities to explore my faith, serve others and worship the God who made us.
Jesuit education offers a progressive introduction to prayer, following the example of Christ who set a model of prayer as integral to all aspects of human life. Everyone in the community is encouraged to praise and thank God, to pray for one another and to ask God’s help in meeting the needs of the larger human community. (CJE 67)
St Aloysius’ College is well known for its retreat programme. Each year students have the opportunity to go on retreat. In S1 and S2 these are day retreats. In S3, S4 and S5 students take part in residential retreats. S6 pupils take an active role in organising their one-day retreat. These retreats are a time apart from the hectic pace of College life, which allow participants to reflect on their lives, their relationship with God and their relationships with others. The programme is organised by the Christian Formation Team. Each retreat is led by S6 student peer ministers who have received extensive training and who work in conjunction with a team of staff. The College uses a variety of centres for the retreats including Stonyhurst College, Strathallan School and Carfin Grotto.
In 2018 an annual retreat for parents was introduced. The retreat offers parents the chance to get away from the day-to-day routine in order to gain perspective and engage in reflection. What are our gifts and talents? Where do we find God in our lives? What challenges do we face? How do we make good decisions? What is Ignatian Spirituality and what impact can it have on my life? These questions and many others can be considered in the context of the retreat. In 2024, the retreat was changed to a family retreat, with parents and children involved.
Each year all of the College staff participate in a one-day retreat. This unique event gives janitors, cleaners, refectory, administrative, and support staff, as well as teachers, the chance to come together as a community and engage in the process of Ignatian reflection and discernment. It allows participants to have time out to revitalise and renew.
All retreats are delivered by individuals with years of experience in retreat work and Spirituality, many of whom are Jesuits or their lay collaborators.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP
Each year, Pupil Captains of Christian Formation work with the staff members of the Christian Formation Team. Their role is diverse and challenging. They are called upon to be a dynamic presence in the College. CFT Captains help to organise many of the College’s assemblies, coordinate readers and Extraordinary Ministers of the Holy Communion for College Masses, liaise with Heads of Year and registration teachers, organise activities such as morning prayer for registration classes during Advent and Lent, and represent the College at public events.
Today our prime educational objective must be to form men and women for others; men and women who will live not for themselves but for God and his Christ - for the God-man who lived and died for all the world; men and women who cannot even conceive of love of God which does not include love for the least of their neighbours; men and women completely convinced that love of God which does not issue in justice for others is a farce.
There are a wide number of ways to get involved in Christian leadership roles, especially for senior students in S5 and S6. The majority of our S6 students serve in Christian leadership roles. These include work as retreat leaders, prayer ministers and in communications ministry. In order to serve, pupils must apply and then participate in training, giving them skills which allow them to share their talents and faith with younger pupils. Many in S6 also volunteer as Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist.
The College’s Jesuit Ethos Committee meets four times each year to discuss the Christian Formation Programme and ensure that the Jesuit mission of the College is at the forefront of all that we do. This also enables us to keep abreast of developments in the international Jesuit world and use the gifts and talents of all members of the community for the greater glory of God and the common good.
Grateful for their own gifts, for the gift of other people, and for the blessings of each day; and generous with their gifts, becoming men and women for others.
Attentive to their experience and to their vocation; and discerning about the choices they make and the effects of those choices.
Compassionate towards others, near and far, especially the less fortunate; and loving by their just actions and forgiving words.
Faith-filled in their beliefs and hopeful for the future.
Eloquent and truthful in what they say of themselves, the relations between people, and the world.
Learned, finding God in all things; and wise in the ways they use their learning for the common good.
Curious about everything; and active in their engagement with the world, changing what they can for the better.
Intentional in the way they live and use the resources of the earth, guided by conscience; and prophetic in the example they set to others.
JCAPAsia Paci c JCAP Jesuit Education Commission (JEC) www.sjapc.net/what-we-do/education JESAMED Jesuit Superiors of Africa and Madagascar Education www.jesam.info/apostalatesprojects/primary-and-secondary-education JECSE Jesuit European Committee for Primary and Secondary Education www.jecse.org FLACSI Federación Latinoamericana de Colegios de la Compañía de Jesús www. acsi.net JSNNorth America Jesuit Schools Network www.jesuitschoolsnetwork.org JEASA Jesuit Educational Association of South Asia www.jeasa.org Global Network of Jesuit Schools Secondary and Pre-Secondary (Pedro de Ribadeneira SJ, 1556, writing to Philip II, King of Spain on behalf of St. Ignatius of Loyola) “All the well-being of Christianity and of the whole world depends on the proper education of youth.” 26
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Take Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. Thou hast given all to me. To Thee, O lord, I return it. All is Thine, dispose of it wholly according to Thy will. Give me Thy love and Thy grace, for this is sufficient for me.
Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labour and not to ask for reward, save that of knowing that I do your will.
