OUR CHARISM
Charism is a special gift of the Holy Spirit given to a person or order to serve the world, translating a bold vision of faith into living action.
At St Anne’s Catholic School, our charism is rooted in the rich traditions of Catherine McAuley and the Sisters of Mercy.
Inspired by Catherine McAuley’s vision of active faith and deep empathy, our charism calls us to be the face, hands, and heart of Jesus in our community today. We walk in mercy by nurturing the whole child—spiritually, academically, socially, and culturally—so that our Äkonga (students) grow into compassionate, courageous leaders who bring hope and justice to the world.
Catherine McAuley
- Te mana whakahaere - making lives better.
When Catherine McAuley opened the doors of her first House of Mercy in Baggot Street, Dublin, in 1827, this remarkable woman was already combining her gifts of faith and compassion in the cause of social change. Her call to others was to join her in working to transform society into what she believed God wanted it to be.
Although Catherine resisted the idea of becoming a nun, she was eventually persuaded that a religious Congregation offered the best prospects for ensuring that her vision of mercy would endure. But from the start, her Sisters of Mercy were to be different; they would not be bound by convent walls or cloister. Instead they would meet people in need wherever they were found.
At the heart of Catherine’s spirituality was her trust in the providence of God, expressed in her prayer, the Suscipe.
