Spiritual Life
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Mount St Bernard College is first and foremost a Catholic College. Its tradition stems from the charisms of the Sisters of Mercy who established the College in Herberton in 1921. The Sisters of Mercy have their origins in their founder, Catherine McAuley, a young Irish woman, destined to become a saint, due to her faith in action in the service of poor and disadvantaged young women in Ireland in the early 19th century.
In 2006, the College was gifted to the Catholic Diocese of Cairns by the Sisters of Mercy and is now administered by Catholic Education Services. However, the traditional ethos of the College is enduring and the values of Mercy education – Respect, Mercy, Service, Compassion, Dignity of the Human Person and the Preferential Option for the Poor are at the heart of the administrative, communal and faith life of the College.
The College has a vibrant Religious Education program which encompasses the intellectual appreciation of the Catholic Faith and the Religious Worldview through the study strands of Beliefs, Morality and Justice, Celebration and Prayer, and Scripture. The formation of students extends beyond the intellectual to encompass the moral and spiritual development of the whole person. Daily prayer, attendance at Mass in the College Chapel on significant holy days and for College celebrations, sacred liturgies to celebrate various observances and community events, and Christian service learning opportunities are key features of College life.
As the study of a Religious Education subject is compulsory in all year levels, the senior school offers two options for students. The Queensland Studies Authority subject, Study of Religion, which encompasses the disciplines of philosophy, ethics, Catholic Social Justice Principles and the beliefs of other major world religions, in the light of Christianity, contributes to a student’s university entrance score. The successful completion of the alternative Religion and Ethics course provides students with credit towards the Queensland Certificate of Education.
The essential and defining feature of a Catholic school is the understanding of, and commitment to, the Catholic ethos. At Mount St Bernard College we strive to nurture a Catholic culture. In faith, we share the Mission of Jesus. Like Catherine McAuley, that through our way of being in the world, we are open to the God of love and of challenge who transforms our human experience, drawing us all ever more deeply into the life of God’s Kingdom.
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