At St Joseph's we are developing our understanding of Catholic Social teaching and how our actions are guided by our faith. We sometimes refer to CST as "The Gospel on the Street" as the principles help guide us in or words and actions to help build a world of justice, love and peace. These serve as our moral guide. 

We decided to use the CAFOD resources as a basis for a consistent approach across the school. Using the characters to enable all ages to identify the principles at their own level. 

We are intially focussing on Stewardship / Common Good / Human Dignity and pupils are developing their understand of CST through RE lessons, weekly celebration of the word and prayer group.

Pupil can nominate others who have shown aspects of CST in our weekly celebration time. Our Chaplains are supporting our younger children to understand CST. 

CAFOD have visited us to enhance the children’s understanding of CST and our next steps are to embed elements into our wider curriculum.  The children at St Joseph's understand their role in supporting others e.g. through donating to the foodbank and writing cards to local care homes.    

We are also starting our Live Simply journey and our action plan clearly states how CST is being embedded across the school. 

The DCET public speaking competition also enables our older children to dig deeper into CST as the focus for their presentation.  

Pope Francis says “Each of us has a part to play,” and you are probably doing this in your life already!

There are many ways of living out Catholic Social Teaching. - Let’s take a look at these three: Human Dignity, the Common Good and Solidarity.

Human dignity means that everyone is special. We are each beautifully made in the image and likeness of God. Because everyone is special, we should treat every person the way we would like to be treated ourselves.

Common good means that we are called to work for the good of each and all. What we do affects everyone and when we make choices we should think about how it affects others.

Solidarity means that we show that we care for others. We can be better global neighbours by speaking out for justice and working actively for the good of all our sisters and brothers.

We are living out all of these principles of Catholic Social Teaching every day.

By looking after others and the world around us, speaking out for justice and putting Catholic Social Teaching into action we are building a brighter world together.

Catholic Social Teaching is Social.

Pope Benedict XV1 wrote, “No man is an island, entire of itself. Our lives are involved with one another, through innumerable action they are linked together. No one lives alone. No sins alone. No one is saved alone. The lives of others continually spill over into mine: what I think, say, do and achieve. And conversely, my life spills over into that of others: for better and for worse.” From the beginning of his Pontificate Pope Francis has stressed our need to take seriously these principles and try to live by them. “An authentic faith – which is never comfortable or completely personal – always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better than we found it.”

Refugee Week 17th June 2024 

St Joseph's will be taking part in Refugee Week 2024 (beginning on 17th June)

The Clifton Diocese has contributed, along with the St Vincent de Paul Society and other Catholic Social Action Network members, to the production of the “Love the Stranges: Schools Resources” led by Caritas Brentwood. We will be using these resources to help us participate in a week dedicated to caring for the strangers in our midst, so that we can respond to Pope Francis’s call that “No one…remain excluded because of his or her place of birth, much less because of privileges enjoyed by others who were born in lands of greater opportunity.” (Fratelli Tutti 121) 

We will be using the daily reflections to help the children learn more and facilitate discussions. 

Year 6 are also going to be making a scale model of a Refugee Camp in the DT lesson this week!

https://www.csan.org.uk/news/love-the-stranger-school-resources-launched/

Looking at our camp model, it makes me feel upset to know that some people are struggling and fleeing their homes to a cramped area. This reminds me of how grateful I am to not be in this situation and how fortunate we are. (Millie)

Looking at how cramped our model is, it makes me feel grateful for what I have but also guilty and sad to know that people have caused poverty, conflict and war. Refugees have to live in disgusting conditions with thousands of other people and we need to act now. (Elsie)

When I look at the model we have created as a class it makes me feel grateful for the simple things that many people may take for granted such as clean-living conditions and water. I have a home and loving family and these people have had to flee from war to give themselves a chance of a better life. (Isla)

11th June 2024

Dear St Joseph's

Thank you so much for todays delivery - all weighed in at brilliant 98.84 Kg. This amount is sufficient to provide 4 family sized food parcels. Our levels of donation via the supermarket collection baskets are falling so your continued support is much appreciated.

Please pass on our grateful thanks to all who supported your collection.

Kind regards

Maxine (Foodbank) 

Follow the link below to our DCET page where you can learn more about the public speaking competition which was focussed on CST!

On the 4th and the 18th October 2023, we were very excitied to have our CAFOD visit! Mervyn delivered the Brighten Up liturgy when we learned about how CAFOD help others around the world to make sure they have access to mobile medical units!

He then stayed with us to deliver the CAFOD Catholic Social Teaching workshops to all of our classes!

Catholic Social Teaching

We are introducing a special "Catholic Social Teaching" award which will be presented each week to a pupil in the school who has been nominated for demonstrating their commitment to CST.

Week Beginning 18th September 2023

Pupil nominations:

Millie - Common Good

Xanthe - Stewardship

Ava S - Common Good

Ava H - Stewardship 

Week Beginning 25th September 2023 

Pupil nominations:

Olympia - Stewardship

Alice - Human Dignity 

Week Beginning 9th October 2023

Human Dignity - Lilah

The Common Good / Solidarity - Effie

Stewardship - Ava

Solidarity - Ava C, Lucian, Luca

Some comments from this weeks pupil nominations:

"She always makes sure I am ok and shows she cares"

"I saw them picking up litter and putting it in the bin"

"They think that everyone is special"
"They are always there if I need them"