The Pastoral Co-ordinator seeks to maintain, foster and develop the Jesuit identity
of the College, through the Religous.Education programmes, retreats, awareness and
aid projects and faith formative Youth Camps, organised in conjunction with Scripture
Union’s youth branch, ‘Authentic Youth’.
He organises and oversees the Religious Education programme in conjunction with the
Diocesan Advisers for Religious Education and the Jesuit Province. There are three
R.E. class periods weekly for all six years. In Sixth year, the R.E. programme continues
right up to the end of the final Sixth year term. The Leaving Cert. State R.E. examination
is an option at Senior Cycle.
There is a retreat programme for all six years: First, Second and Third Year have
an ‘in house’ one day class retreat, thus four for each year. This allows each class
to experience group prayer and explore faith, moral and social issues in a context
of spirituality.
Fifth Year are offered two similar four day retreats in groups of thirty four. This
retreat is voluntary. Sixth Year may opt for a two day group retreat, or two four
day retreats. One of these is Monastic and the other, a Young Adult retreat.
A pilot programme was launched with Scripture Union in 2011 to provide a retreat
themed: Finding God in All Things [a favourite Ignatian ideal]. This was an overnight
retreat at the Scripture Union centre at Ovoca Manor, Wicklow. The experience comprised:
outdoor activities, with personal and group challenges, group reflection and prayer.
The Transition Year boys deemed the experience a great success. Thus it will become
a permanent fixture at the start of Transition Year, not least for its bonding value
for the new class groups.
Cultivating all aspects of Faith Formation including the Sacramental life of the
School, are the responsibility of the Pastoral Co-ordinator. He also provides ‘open-door’
access for pupils concerned with faith or personal issues.
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