home

= //Introduction of// // the Light for the Journey Study //= 
 * //As the Principal of St Michael’s School my mission in this role is to be an authentic messenger of the Message of Jesus Christ through providing proactive leadership through engaging others in spreading the founding Charism of St Michael’s. This is an essential element in the development of the holistic atmosphere of the school as it provides the backbone of the Catholic Community on Palm Island with recognition of its beginning and direction in leading the community towards its future. Understanding the unique aspect providing Jesus message to Indigenous Australians in combination with their own belief systems is essential as the Palm Island Catholic Community has grown through the intertwining of these aspects of spirituality.//**


 * //St Michael’s School was originally founded by the Sisters of Our Lady Help of Christians and further developed by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary who still remain present today. Both denominations have provided unique and constructive additions to the Catholic community. //****//The sisters of Our Lady Help of Christians have a close relationship with the Sisters of Mercy which draws upon the inspiration of Catherine McAuley who worked to develop the lives of the suffering and the poor, they also have a special relationship with the Indigenous Australians and recognise they have been badly disadvantaged by the dispossession of their land during European colonization. They work towards supporting relationships and ensuring justice and respect within the community. //**


 * //The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary founded by Helene de Chappotin live lives based upon Francis of Assisi with the ideal of simplicity and poverty, responding to the call of the poor and abandoned. They are particularly concerned with the promotion of women and develop a living relationship with those they serve regardless of creed or background. //**

** Situational Analysis on St Michael’s School’s //Charism// **

=
St Michael's founded unofficially in 1934 by the Sisters of Our Lady Help of Christians with 97 students was officially opened when formal buildings had been completed in1938 by the Apostolic Delegate, Dr Panico as "//St Michael's and All Holy Angels//". Many orders contributed to the early education of the Indigenous population. In the period between 1931 and 1944 there were 710 baptisms, 59 marriages, and 220 Indigenous Catholic deaths within the Palm Island Catholic Community. ======

=
In 1945 there were 304 adult Catholics and 90 students within the community when the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM) replaced the Congregation of Our Lady Help of Christians. 1. The FMM still maintains a presence on the island today and their Charism permeates the school in many ways: ======
 * ====== St Michael's School Motto 'To Truth By Love ======
 * St Michael's Respect Principles: Respecting God, ourselves, others and the environment
 * ====== the previous lay staff that worked in the school up to 2003 ======
 * ====== the commitment to continued involvement in classes and school celebrations ======

=
// The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary founded by Helene de Chappotin (Blessed Mary of the Passion) in 1872 profess lives based upon Francis of Assisi with the ideal of simplicity and poverty, responding to the call of the poor and abandoned. They are particularly concerned with the promotion of women and develop a living relationship with those they serve regardless of creed or background ////. // These missionaries share God’s love through the Good News over international boundaries, with a presence on five continents and over 70 countries. ======

// The Australian Chapter of FMM live by the gospel values of justice, peace and creation. They profess Franciscan characteristics of respect: brother sun, sister moon, sister water and mother earth. On Palm Island these contemplative women are committed to ensuring all people encounter dignity, justice and peace and profess to the integrity of creation. //This is especially important the Indigenous community of Palm Island consisting of 44 different clans with systemic issues of differing cultures and those related to conforming to European colonisation within a restricted and controlled environment: i.e. alcohol abuse, domestic violence, drug abuse, violence, theft, vandalism, resentment and distrust of Europeans. In relation to the history of Palm Island Indigenous culture was restricted firstly by the government control and secondly due to the upheaval caused by dislocation and lack of elders in authority, thus effectively distorting and in some cases destroying generations of traditional spirituality. However there is hope, this generation of Indigenous youth have freedom to rediscover their identities and regain their cultural customs and beliefs that was not available to earlier generations on the island.

In the words of FMM Australia: 2.
 * Justice, peace and the integrity of creation - a way of life.
 * Living justice - creating circles of hospitality and welcome.
 * Living peace - creating circles of peace and reconciliation.
 * Living the integrity of creation - creating circles of celebration and reverence.
 * Living now and into the future - creating circles of communion.

=**Why is it important to discuss and understand a school's charism and in particular St Michael's School Charism?**=

The Townsville diocese was founded through the commitment and dedication of many orders and thus has a mixture of Charisms which have intertwined in general to create our Townsville Catholic Community. As there has been a reduction in the number of staff in orders recently, the role has fallen to the laity to maintain the appropriate knowledge, celebration and continuing to celebrate the founding charisms. The centre of Catholic Education and its role is to promote the gospel message of Jesus each school’s charism focuses on different aspects of the gospel.

In the //Catholic Identity and Mission// 3 Most Rev. Michael Putney explains the important of knowing ones Catholic Identity and Mission is essential and may be gained through dialogue and understanding the many religious orders. Richard P. McBrien explains in //Catholicism// 4 that Catholic communities possess unique charateristics and this is the foundation of ones Catholic Identity. Indeed to ensure the establishment and promotion of unity among different churches or religions orders Pope John Paul the 2nd explained that '... the method of dialogue is becoming the way in which to work to bring the Lord's comforting message of salvation everywhere.' 5 The citizens within each Catholic Community are required to rediscover the heart of their identity if they are to provide this mission to others and proclaim the gospel.

1. John Maguire Prologue: A history of the Catholic Church as seen from Townsville 1863-1983, (Church Archivists' Society Publication, Downs Printing Co. Pty. Ltd. Toowoomba, QLD, 1990) 2. // Franciscan Missionaries of Mary: // [] 3. Putney, M. E. Catholic identity and mission. In //Identity and Mission in Catholic Agencies//. (St Pauls Publications, Starthfield, NSW, 2008) 4. Richard P. McBrien, Catholicism, new ed. (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1994) 5. Pope John Paul 2nd, 'Church Engages History and Culture to Transform them with the Gospel', L'Osservatore Romano (10 November 1995)

Top 