Students bring to the school a wide range of faith and spiritual experiences. These experiences are built upon in the curriculum as rich sources for further learning about God, religion and life.
Religious education at St Anthony’s school responds to the mission of the Church to engage with the message of the Gospel and Catholic Tradition in all its wisdom, complexity and challenge.
Prayer is an essential part of the Christian tradition. It is a ‘gathering’ of the mind, heart and body which brings us into God’s presence. It can take several forms: individual, communal, silent, vocal, formal, informal and can occur in several places.
We introduce the students to vocal prayer – praying with the spoken word and with songs. Prayer is part of our Yarning Circle time with special symbols and objects used in the prayer spaces. Each classroom has a special designated saint and each day the students pray to their particular classroom saint. We acknowledge that people pray to God for different reasons, in different places and in different ways.
Set beside the Parish Church of St Anthony of Padua Melton South our school has a strong connection to the Parish and the community. The Mass is a special celebration when the Church remembers and relives the words and actions of Jesus. We celebrate with the wider faith community and share many celebrations together. As a community we work together to respond to the social needs and prayers of our community. The Church is the family of God and through baptism people are welcomed into God’s family.
St Anthony of Padua Feast Day – 13th June
Our school patron saint is St Anthony of Padua. St Anthony’s birth and baptismal name was Fernando Martins. He was born in Portugal in 1195 to a wealthy family, yet he felt called to the priesthood and chose a life of poverty. At the age of fifteen he travelled to the capital of Portugal to study to become a priest. After his ordination, he lived at an abbey and was responsible for taking care of visiting guests. Once when some Franciscans were visiting, Fernando felt called to join their order. When he took the vows of this order, he changed his name to Anthony.
Anthony was an animated and charismatic teacher of the gospel. He engaged his congregation with his extensive knowledge of scripture. He travelled throughout Italy and France preaching the gospel. In 1230 he moved to a monastery in Padua where he spent the rest of his life helping the poor and preaching to them. He died on the 13th of June at the age of 36. Anthony was canonised as a saint on 30 May 1232, 30 May 1232, Spoleto, Italy by Pope Gregory IX less than a year after his death. He is considered a patron saint of lost or stolen items.
St. Mary of the Cross Feast Day – 8th August
Mary MacKillop was an inspirational and extraordinary woman. At St Anthony’s school we celebrate the life of Australia’s first saint.
Mary MacKillop was born in Victoria in 1842. She was the eldest child in her family and had 3 sisters and 4 brothers. She loved children and later became a school teacher. In South Australia she met a priest named Father Julian Tenison Woods who also wanted to help poor children attend school. In 1866 Mary MacKillop and Father Tenison Woods started the religious order of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart (the Josephites) and in 1867 Mary MacKillop became a nun – Sister Mary of the Cross. Mary and the Josephite nuns set up schools in Australia and New Zealand.
Mary MacKillop died on the 8th of August 1909 in North Sydney where her tomb can be visited today. She was a wonderful woman who gave her life to God and to people in need and was declared Australia’s first Saint on the 17th of October 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI.