Dimensions of the Role
Maria Harris identifies the five curriculum areas in the life of the Church:
- Koinonia – the curriculum of community
- Leiturgia – the curriculum of prayer
- Didache – the curriculum of teaching
- Kerygma – the curriculum of proclamation
- Diakonia – the curriculum of service
Koinonia – the curriculum of community
The word koinonia means “partnership” and it refers to the spiritual fellowship of the community of faith. It is the first form of religious life that the College receives from the Church. Theologically, the people who comprise the College have been created in the image of God who is proclaimed to be a trinity of divine persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The Assistant Deputy Principal (Ministry) will:
- nurture faith in Christ as the head and heart of the College community; to encourage members of the community to live in accordance with the goodness in people, the virtues befitting discipleship.
- ensure that the Catholic faith tradition to which the College belongs is made present and celebrated through its signs and symbols.
- organise opportunities for structured reflection on the college mission statement as the formal expression of the common desire for community.
- assist the House Coordinators in developing students’ understanding of and appreciation for the charisms of their House patrons.
- promote experiential learning opportunities that contribute to the formation of the conscience of the College community.
- foster awareness of the eschatological dimension of College as a Christian community, particularly through the celebration of the liturgy.
- through the use of various forms of media to support the development of publications that promote the College as a faith community.
- develop ways of drawing the College community into the parish communities, eg,, Altitude, World Youth Day.
- undertake whatever tasks the Principal determines that relate to the College as a faith community.
Leiturgia – the curriculum of prayer
The second form of religious life that the College receives from the Church is its vocation to worship and to pray. The word “liturgy” which means “the work of the people” comes from the Greek word leiturgia meaning “public service”. The English word is used to refer to the Church worshipping as a body. Along with this cultic aspect, it also incorporates the forms of personal prayer of the members of the College.
The Assistant Deputy Principal (Ministry) will:
- encourage staff, students and their families to engage in personal and communal prayer in their daily lives.
- develop and maintain a Pastoral Care Prayer File to be used by the Pastoral Care groups.
- ensure that there is a roster for weekly briefing prayers.
- maintain the development of the communal Friday morning prayer based on the forthcoming Sunday Gospel reading.
- ensure that all students and staff are familiar with and can use various forms of personal and public or communal prayer.
- facilitate in the College community a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the place of the liturgical seasons in the life of every Christian.
- encourage members of the College community to use the Chapel and the Japanese Garden for personal and communal prayer.
- initiate and maintain a schedule of weekly Masses that will be celebrated in the Chapel and prepared by Pastoral Care groups.
- oversee the development of a liturgical music ministry that incorporates the concept of ensembles drawn from the Houses.
- assist the Religious Education Coordinator in the training of senior students as special ministers of the Eucharist.
- facilitate the incorporation of music, drama and movement in the major liturgical celebrations held at the College.
- develop and maintain a programme of visits by ensembles to local parishes to participate in parish Masses.
- oversee the development of the role of Liturgy Captain and the formation of a Chapel Committee.
- undertake whatever tasks the Principal determines that relate to liturgical celebration.
Didache – the curriculum of teaching
The word didache relates to teaching. It is used in the Gospels to describe the work of Jesus and his role and status as a teacher. Teaching has been part of the work of the Church from its birth at Pentecost. In the present, as in the past, the word refers to the body of knowledge that is communicated through the curriculum of the College and also to the processes that are used.
In keeping with its mandate, the College seeks the integration of culture and faith as well as the integration of faith and life. By doing so, the didache embraces all aspects of teaching and learning. Through instruction in its various forms and through study, the didache incorporates all that is related to evangelisation.
The Assistant Deputy Principal (Ministry) will:
- encourage and support the structured reflection on the Catholic nature of the curriculum.
- facilitate analysis of the curriculum in the light of the Gospels.
- foster the inculturation of the Gospel message.
- look after Accreditation and make sure that records are maintained.
- coordinate the involvement of the College in the pre-service teaching programmes conducted by the universities.
- organise Staff Retreats.
- assist the Religious Education Coordinator with the development of the Religious Education programme.
- develop an approach to retreats for students that is consistent with the principles of catechesis outlined in the General Directory for Catechesis.
- undertake whatever tasks the Principal determines that relate to didache.
Kerygma – the curriculum of proclamation
Kerygma is a hallowed part of the Christian tradition. Based on the Greek notion of the act of proclamation, entrusted to a herald, kerygma has always been taken to be what is proclaimed and the act of proclaiming. Each day, the College proclaims that God became human in Jesus and that God also is enfleshed in the words proclaimed about this amazing presence in the world. God’s word becomes incarnated in those who have faith in God. Those who form the College community have the opportunity to be the subjects who speak the word, the mediators who reveal God’s presence and the listeners who hear God’s word.
The Assistant Deputy Principal (Ministry) will
- ensure that opportunities are provided for members of the College community to understand and appreciate that God speaks through them.
- provide opportunities designed to help staff and students appreciate the importance of silence in the work of remembering, hallowing and blessing.
- encourage and assist staff and students to plan and initiate social justice initiatives as part of the life of the College.
- undertake whatever tasks the Principal determines that relate to the proclamation of the coming of God’s rule.
Diakonia – the curriculum of service
The first Christians used the Greek word diakonia to refer to the many ways they ministered to others, particularly to the poor and the sick. They even used the word to describe the actions of Jesus as he ministered to those in need. Harris (p. 104) identifies the curriculum task associated with diakonia as “remembering and re-integrating compassionate service” as a core activity of the Christian community. At the heart of service is the appreciation for the grace and gift of each life.
The Assistant Deputy Principal (Ministry) will:
- coordinate the implementation, development and maintenance of KolbeCare, the College service learning programme that will operate at each year level.
- assist the Religious Education Coordinator in the development of components of the Religious Education programme that support KolbeCare.
- maintain contact with service organisations and groups in the wider community and facilitate the entry of students into the work of such organisations and groups.
- actively support staff and students who seek to involve themselves and others in opportunities to serve the needy in the wider community, eg, the involvement of the College with the Winter Appeal and Christmas Appeal run by the St Vincent de Paul Society, with the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal, with donating blood, and with the groups supported by the Houses.
- undertake whatever tasks the Principal determines that relate to the service of others in the College community and the wider community.
No comments:
Post a Comment