Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic Social Teaching is based on the belief that God has a plan for creation, a plan to build his kingdom of peace, love and justice.

It holds that God has a special plan for every single one of us, whoever we are. Our part in this plan isn’t just limited to things ‘spiritual’, or times when we do “religious things.” It involves every aspect of our lives, from the things we pray about, to how we live as a responsible global citizen.

Our part in this story is a kind-of vocation for the common good, a call to treat everyone as our brothers and sisters.  It is something that we all share.

The Catholic Church has seven principles of social teaching that we share with our children through all that we do, through the curriculum, special events and activity and through our ordinary actions in school.

At St. Mary’s, Catholic Social Teaching is incorporated into our curriculum. Children are asked to put their faith into action and reflect on how their learning enables them to do so.

Catholic Social Teaching underpins the essence of our daily school life. As members of the Catholic Church, we are all called upon to preserve the dignity of all human beings, to care for creation, and to reach out to our sisters and brothers in need. Pope Francis emphasised that it is our duty to work together to bring about a more just and peaceful world: to put love into action. It is vital that our children can articulate the connection between Jesus' teaching and doing good deeds.

We use the CAFOD Catholic Social Teaching resources and the animal mascots to support the children’s understanding of principles.

The animal mascots are used with EYFS, KS1. The posters are introduced in the resources for Key Stage 2.

We feel privileged to be able to work so closely alongside CAFOD, who regularly visit school to deliver workshops, assemblies and to visit the classrooms. Dr Petula Nurse has delivered workshops and assemblies on the Catholic Social Teaching and more recently has visited school    ( Monday 10th March 2025) to deliver workshops on the Year of Hope.

Our Foundation Governor, Mr Mutsigwa, is the local CAFOD representative, so this strong partnership is strengthened through this personal engagement with the school.

Have a look at some of the resources we use:

https://cafod.org.uk/education/primary-teaching-resources/cst-resources-for-children

HOW DO WE LIVE THESE CST PRINCIPLES OUT AT ST. MARY'S?

We are called to uphold the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.

Human Dignity – Everyone is Special

At St. Mary’s we recognise the human dignity of others by:

·         being respectful

·         treating people equally

·         raising awareness of civil rights

·         preferential option for the vulnerable

The Common Good– Taking Part in our Communities

At St. Mary’s we show we are part of a community by:

·         working together

·         working for the common good

·         participating and engaging

·         being active members of our community

Participation – The dignity of Work

At St. Mary’s we recognise the dignity of work by:

·         respecting all workers

·         contributing to society

·         making responsible economic choices

·         supporting wellbeing and workers' rights

·         sharing our talents with others

Subsidiarity– All people Should have a Say

At St. Mary’s we acknowledge our rights and responsibilities by:

·         recognising our duties as members of a community

·         standing up for what is right

·         following our school rules

Stewardship – Caring for God’s Creation and Gifts

At St. Mary’s we show we care for creation by:

·         taking responsibility for our environment

·         making environmentally responsible choices

·         having awe and wonder for the natural world

Solidarity – We are One Big Family

At St. Mary’s we show solidarity by:

·         raising awareness of social justice

·         writing to our local leaders

·         praying for others

·         making connections

·         making socially responsible choices

Option for the poor – Some People need Extra Help

At St. Mary’s we show a preferential option for the poor and vulnerable by:

·         fundraising for charitable causes

·         raising awareness

·         treating others with dignity and respect

·         thinking of the needs of others

Distributive Justice – Being Fair

At St. Mary’s we recognise the need to share the worlds resources fairly by:

·         by sharing our belongs

Promoting Peace – We can be God’s instruments of Peace

At St. Mary’s we show we are people of peace by:

·         treating each other kindly

·         turning away from conflict

·         creating bonds between people