Faith and Service

The ethos of Saint Ignatius’ College, Adelaide is based on the spirituality of St Ignatius of Loyola, a Basque nobleman who lived from 1491-1556.

This ethos is grounded on a deep faith in God who loves each of us unconditionally, and for Ignatius the only appropriate response to that love is gratitude.

Ignatius found ‘God in All Things’; in all people and nature, in all creation. Serving and caring for all God created is the way we respond to God’s infinite love for us.

At Saint Ignatius’ College, we encourage an openness to share in the faith of God through prayer, reflection and liturgy. And we promote a life of service, especially to those less fortunate, which enables us to experience life through the eyes of another.

Ignatius wanted his companions to be ‘Contemplatives in Action’. Here at Saint Ignatius’ College, we aim to similarly form students through a faith that does justice.

Days of Reflection
A ‘Day of Reflection’ is an explicit opportunity for students of a particular cohort, with staff, to engage in day-long faith based learning and reflective practice. Days of Reflection are offered across the Junior and Senior School campuses from Year 3 through to Year 12.

Retreats
The Kairos Retreat aims to create an environmental away, a moment in "God's time”, in which the retreatants may be awakened to the ever-present love of God. The 4-day retreat is offered to Senior Students in their final term of Year 11 through to their Year 12 year.

Faith & Service Day
As part of the weekly Pastoral Care Program at the Senior School, Faith & Service Day provides opportunity for students to engage in a range of social justice initiatives, attend Chapel services in their House groups, sustainability activities and Jesuit Province commitments.

The scope and sequence of Faith & Service Day is built from the College’s Learning and Teaching Culture – a contemporary application of Ignatian Pedagogy – Context, Experience, Reflection, Action, Evaluation.

Masses & Liturgies
Regular celebration of the Mass, on feast days and to mark the seasons of the Church and school year, is central to the life of a Catholic school. At the heart of the Mass are the Liturgy of the Word, which proclaims and reflects upon the word of God found in the Bible readings, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, in which bread and wine are taken and, in a great prayer of thanksgiving, are, according to the belief of Catholics, changed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, to be shared among the people.  

Liturgies are celebrated at the Junior School on Monday afternoons. Parents are welcome to attend.

Immersions
Each year our students at the Senior School are given the opportunity to travel through remote Australia or developing countries to serve poverty-stricken communities and gain greater empathy with the marginalised in our world.

Students undertake the important experience of service and reflection to develop an appreciation of the richness of other cultures.

The Immersion experiences include possibilities for travel to the following remote communities:

• Ikara, Flinders Ranges, South Australia
• Lake Mungo, Northern Territory
• Timor Leste
• India
• Cambodia and Vietnam

Pedro Arrupe Programs
Pedro Arrupe SJ, was the 28th Superior General of the Society of Jesus, leading the Society in the realities of serving the Church and people in the post-Vatican II world. Arrupe was a man of great spiritual depth who was committed to justice.

The Pedro Arrupe Outreach program provides Junior School students with an opportunity to live out the Ignatian Virtues and Catholic Social Teachings by serving those in the community to promote solidarity, with particular attention given to vulnerable groups. Year Levels work together to decide on a charity/organisation they wish to support and raise awareness.

At the Senior School, Pedro Pop-ups is an initiative launched in 2023, whereby Mentor classes host a variety of stalls to fundraise and raise awareness for communities living on the margins. Funds raised contribute to work of Jesuit Mission and Caritas Australia.

Ignatian Service Program (Senior School)
At the Senior School, the Ignatian Service Program is open to each Year Level. The minimum hours of service are to be encouraged very much as a minimum. It is the hope and expectation of this program that opportunities for service within a well contextualised and reflected program will lead students to further acts of service.

• Year 7 (5 hours) 
• Year 8 (10 hours)
• Year 9 (10 hours) 
• Year 10 (15 hours)  
• Year 11 (15 hours, plus Caroline Chisholm Week) 
• Year 12 (No minimum service is expected)

Saint Ignatius’ College Adelaide seeks to educate students and their families on the power of Reconciliation. We are a broad-based inclusive community that is in the world rather than of the world. We strive for justice, change, opportunity, and respect for all people, finding God in all things.

As a College community, we are committed to both learning from and celebrating the cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to drive positive social outcomes and change.

Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)

At Saint Ignatius’ College, we strive to inspire our school community to “reconcile with creation” and actively care for our Common Home. We seek to deepen our awareness of the gift of creation in our spirituality, to understand better our role as stewards of creation, and to do all we can to make a positive contribution to sustainability at school, home and beyond.