Called to be Teacher: a retreat for Catholic educators

Called to be Teacher was the theme of a retreat for Catholic educators from 28 to 30 November at Montfort Centre.

15 Catholic and Christian teachers and leaders from kindergartens, schools and polytechnics spent the weekend reflecting on their vocation and work as educators.

The dynamics of the semi-silent retreat included prayer and reflection, contemplation and meditation and sharing. Retreatants were also invited to reflect using their creativity and imagination in kinesthetic and aesthetic exercises.

The retreat began with an appreciation of names and how each is the unique and gifted person God calls to be teacher. Retreatants then reflected on their respective calls to be a teacher and the journeys they have taken since responding. Using the life of St John Baptist de la Salle, patron saint of teachers, as a model, retreatants were also challenged to reflect on the inter-relationship of faith and teaching in their lives. An aspect of being teacher is recognizing one’s own vulnerabilities and expectations; reflecting on these helped them understand the importance of honesty and openness to mature as teachers. The retreat ended with an invitation to "imagine" God "re-moulding" them through the weekend to be his handicraft, the Christian teacher.

Retreatants found the weekend of prayer, reflection and fellowship enriching, insightful and fulfilling. Some of their comments are:

“Learning from one another’s sharing, listening to God’s prompting and knowing that my journey as a teacher is purposeful.” – Stephanie Mak


“The retreat helped me to see how God is recharging me with his grace.” – Natalie Loo


The retreat was valuable for “the time and space for quiet contem plation and reflection and getting the courage to ‘break’ the mould of oneself. It was a humbling experience.” It “helped us have a sense of the common mission and calling” and “provided a space to support each other.” – Germaine Kwan

“Being a Catholic teacher is a call from God. It is good to take time off to be with our Master, to listen to Him. God will give us strength to continue to persevere in our vocation to teach.” – Elizabeth Teo

“A source for thirst-quenching, soul-searching for burnt out teachers, especially at the end of the year.” – Lillian Law

This retreat was co-organized by ACCS and Catholic Teachers’ Movement (CTM). For more pictures of the weekend, please click the photo to your left.

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This retreat is part of the Spiritual Wellness for Catholic Educators’ programme. The next event is a Day of Prayer and Recollection on the theme, Called to Teach and Care. It will focus on teaching as a ministry of forming the child. It will be held at Lifesprings Canossian Spirituality Centre from Friday, 6 March (7pm) to Saturday, 7 March (6pm). For more information, please call Shirley at 6858-7080.

Principles of Religious Education - a workshop

21 teachers and catechists from the Catholic schools and parishes attended a 3-session workshop on Principles of Religious Education. This was conducted by Mr. Arthur Goh, Associate Director of Singapore Pastoral Institution. It ended on Friday, 28 November.

In the first session, participants were introduced to the Nature, Purpose and History of Christian Religious Education. Arthur also presented and facilitated discussions on education as experience, the ends of education, religious education and sensitivity to historical context.

The 2nd session focused on Dialogue and the Pluralist context and the 3rd session on Curriculum and Classroom: Shared Praxis.

Comments from participants include:

• It is a good course, one of the most engaging lessons I've had in recent memory.

• Enjoyed the course...it challenges my mindset.

• There is a lot of food for thought....

• I really learned a lot and it was really quite exciting.

Sex Education: Are we on the Right Track?

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are on the rise among teenagers. This has led to recent calls in the newspapers for sexuality education to include the teaching of condoms and contraceptive use. Is this sound advocacy? What do these calls mean for Catholic parents and educators? The Catholic Medical Guild (CMG) responds to these calls and explains the Catholic perspective on this issue. CMG's article can help Catholic parents and educators better educate our young. Please click the picture below to read full article.

* Picture courtesy of mfa

Formation Programme for Educators 2008 (FPE)

On Friday, 7 November, Msgr Eugene Vaz presided at a Thanksgiving Mass for the teachers who have completed Year 1 of the ACCS initiated two-year Formation Programme for Educators (FPE).

In his homily, Msgr Vaz challenged everyone to respond to God’s call to discipleship. He also provided insights on the role of Catholic educators in shaping the lives of young students. He commended the teachers for their generosity in taking the time to learn more about our Catholic faith amidst their busy schedules.

At the end of the Mass, William from St Gabriel's Secondary shared with everyone the positive impact this formation programme has had on his life. It has enriched his personal life and enliven his spiritual growth in daily life. He also suggested that the programme be available for every teacher in the Catholic schools. He ended by saying that he looks forward to the second year of the programme.

The teachers on the FPE have completed studies in the following modules for 2008: Anthropology of the Christian Vocation (Psycho-spirituality), Prayer, Principles of Religious Formation, God (a philosophy seminar on the question of God), Contextual Theology and Moral Theology.

In 2009, the following topics will be offered to these teachers:

1. Philosophy of Being Human
2. Anthropology of the Christian Vocation II
3. Prayer II
4. Social Teachings
5. Theology of Dialogue
6. Moral Theology II
7. Salvation History

The FPE resumes in January 2009. For now, the teacher-participants are on a well deserved break!

A note:

The Formation programme for Educators (FPE) is a 2 year programme for school leaders and teachers, who are open to learning and growing in their vocation as educators in Catholic schools. The FPE is especially useful those who are active leaders in the areas of religious education, character development and values education, and are committed to serving their school.

* Picture courtesy of CHIJ OLN

Communio: a report on the 3rd gathering

50 educators from our primary and secondary schools gathered at our 3^rd Communio session to learn about the social teaching of the Catholic school. Also present were some NIE students.

This session entitled The Catholic Church’s Social Teachings: a foundation for Catholic Schools? was facilitated by Fr David Garcia, Sr Maria Lau and Mr Henry Tzen from Caritas Singapore Community Council.

Fr David began by sharing with us the history of the social teaching of the Church. He then introduced the various principles of Catholic social teaching. He illustrated these with everyday examples. Participants appreciated this as it helped them to see how the various principles are very much part of the way we live and work.

After his presentation, Sr Maria invited participants to reflect on their schools to see how and to what extent these principles are part of the school community. Some participants shared about various programmes that involved student and staff participation. They felt this highlighted the principle of participation. Others pointed how the philosophy of Catholic schools – focused as it is on the child – was evidenced in the efforts schools make to reach out to the lost, least and forgotten among their students. And this, they recognize demonstrated the principle of human dignity. Others spoke about respecting the different levels of administration and work in school, where with respect and support each was enabled to carry out his responsibilities. Here the principle of subsidiarity was at work, they acknowledged. The sharing enriched the participants. It also provided them with new ideas for the classroom and school.

Some responses from participants at the end of the afternoon included:

• “We are now more aware of how to communicate to our students the Church’s Social teachings. We can better integrate them into our school programmes.”


• “The session is relevant to our schools – they offer good Catholic ways to live, teach and learn as a school.”


• “Much of what we do as a school community is in line with the various principles of the Catholic social teachings. Good to know!”


• “The session was informative and educational.”


• “Useful. Helped us to establish and nurture ethos of the Catholic school.”

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With this session, Communio comes to an end for 2008.

Next year, 4 talks are scheduled, one per term, as part of the 2009 Communio series. Watch out for the calendar of these talks that will be posted online shortly.




photos: courtesy of CSCC