St. Ignatius

Mission Statement

As companions of Jesus, in Religious Studies we are committed to education that:

  • creates experiences where students and teachers encounter the living God through shared inquiry, discernment and prayer
  • equips us to respond to the call of Jesus, as St. Ignatius did, by becoming leaders of competence, conscience and compassion in a multicultural world with a faith that seeks justice.

Archdiocese of San Francisco Secondary Catholic Schools Essential Outcomes for Religious Education 

The secondary schools of the Archdiocese of San Francisco teach from a Catholic Christian perspective while welcoming people of all faith traditions. We seek to develop a knowledge and experience of faith that equally includes:

  • Recognition of the ongoing invitation to grow in relationship with God and to develop faith and spirituality;
  • Understanding of Scripture and the living Tradition of the Church as guided by the Holy Spirit;
  • Articulation of and a response to the call to live as Catholics in community,
  • Formation of conscience rooted in Gospel values that inform moral decision-making;
  • Active response to the call of Jesus to be advocates for the common good through works of charity and justice;
  • Exploring and experiencing Catholic traditions of personal and communal prayer as expressed in sacrament and liturgy.

 

Saint Ignatius Religious Studies Department Overview 

Saint Ignatius’s Religious Studies Program embodies the six tasks of catechesis outlined in the National Directory for Catechesis[i] outlined by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. These are:

  • Promoting knowledge of the faith
  • Knowledge of the meaning of the Liturgy and of the sacraments
  • Moral formation in Jesus Christ
  • Teaching how to pray with Christ
  • Preparing the student to live in community and to participate actively in the life and mission of the Church
  • Promoting a missionary spirit that prepares the student to be present as a Christian in society

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[1] National Conference of Catholic Bishops. National Directory for Catechesis. Washington, D.C.: NCCB, 2005.

2 Six Dimensions for Catholic Formation, secondary document, Our Hearts Burning Within Us.

Curriculum 

The Religious Studies curriculum is developed to integrate a critical and experiential understanding of Catholicism. The SI Faculty Handbook states that studies in theology are essential for the development of the student’s understanding of Christian values and for his/her formation as an educated Christian leader. In order to further implement the growth and development of each student, a continual emphasis will be placed upon the balance between the academic and experiential components of Christianity. To insure this balance, frequent religious services and activities are provided for students on campus as well as the opportunity to become involved in community-service endeavors which connect the learned experience with the practical and transforming lived experiences of the Christian faith. Work with socially disadvantaged people is encouraged as well as opportunities offered for students to become active in social justice issues.

In addition, the following six- core concepts are foundational to the curriculum and integrated into the curriculum at every level.

  • Living Scripture and Gospel Values
  • Catholic Moral Teaching and Catholic Social Teaching
  • Liturgy and Sacramental Traditions
  • Jesus as Divine and Human
  • Faith that seeks Justice
  • Prayer and Discernment

 

Religious Studies Department Outcomes 

What should our students know when they graduate?

1. What does it means to be Catholic?

  • How am I part of the rich scriptural and sacramental traditions of the Church?

2. What does it means to know God?

  • How do I come to know my Creator?
  • How do I build a lifelong relationship with God?
  • How does Scripture form and inform by love for God?

3. What does it mean to be Igantian- to see “God in all things”?

  • What does it mean to be part of the Ignatian Family?
  • How do I live out the Grad at Grad?
  • What role does prayer and Ignatian discernment play in my life?

4. What does it mean to be a person of Faith?

  • Where am I in my faith life? Where do I need to go and how do I get there?How do I celebrate my faith through the Sacraments?
  • How do I profess my faith in Liturgy?
  • How do I live out my faith as a disciple of Christ?

5. What does it mean to be an advocate for Social Justice?

  • How is my Church an advocate for justice in the world?
  • How does my Catholic identity inform my Ignatian identity?

6. What does it mean to be a Disciple in the modern world?

  • How do I respect those who challenge my beliefs?
  • How do I respect those who wrong me?
  • How do I enter into productive dialogue with people who represent different faith traditions?
  • How do I advocate for and live the Gospel message?
  • How do I continue to grow in my faith and in my sacramental life?
  • How do I live a life that celebrates the belief that God is present in all things?
  • How do I live as a disciple of Jesus?