‘That They May Have Life’ – Our Diocesan Schools and the New Evangelisation
“I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” (John 10.10)
The church exists in order to evangelise. In order to carry out this mission, Bishop Philip has re-established the pastoral administration of the Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth as ‘The Framework for Collaboration’ (the ‘Framework’). The Framework mirrors the threefold ministry of the Bishop who acts in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ as the Priest, Prophet and King.
Practically this has led to three Vicariates within the Framework: Vocation, Education and Evangelisation. These Vicariates represent three dynamically interrelated strands of Christian discipleship: call, formation and mission. The call of Christ invites the disciple to formation in Christian doctrine, life and spirituality, and in turn sends him or her out on mission.
The Catholic Academies and Schools Office and the family of Catholic schools within the diocese fit into the diocesan Framework for Collaboration as an integral part of the Church’s mission. “The Church is absolutely convinced that the educational aims of the Catholic school in the world of today perform an essential and unique service for the Church herself” (The Catholic School, Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education). CASO and each school are called to work in collaboration with the Bishop, within the context of the Bishop’s four diocesan priorities, working towards:
- Seeking out and drawing in the unbelieving and un-churched.
- Developing lifelong discipleship, spiritual growth and a living relationship with Jesus Christ, above all in the Holy Eucharist.
- Discerning the gifts (charisms) and the vocations God has given to the Christian community.
- Forming and supporting existing and new extraordinary apostolates.
In June 2017 Bishop Philip shared ‘That They May Have Life’ – Our Diocesan Catholic Schools and the New Evangelisation’. In this key document, the Bishop shared some new and revised policies, thoughts and aspirations relating to Catholic education and the schools of the Diocese of Portsmouth.
- Schools and Parishes: Partners in the New Evangelisation
- Schools and Eucharistic Commitment
- School Admissions and Appointments
- Enlarging Existing Schools
- Building New Schools
- Section 48 Inspections
Click on the image to the right to read the full document.
The document was warmly welcomed by schools. Below you will find the brochure ‘That They May Have Life’ compiled by schools in the diocese to illustrate and share the good practice taking place across the diocese to live out Bishop Philip’s vision for Catholic education and to ‘Bring people closer to God through Jesus Christ’. The brochure can be viewed online or downloaded and shared using the tools at the bottom of the link.
Extract from Bishop Philip’s Foreword to the illustrated brochure to accompany ‘That They May Have Life’
‘The mission of our Diocese of Portsmouth is Bringing People Closer to Jesus Christ through His Church. I invite everyone, all our clergy, religious and laity, to respond enthusiastically to the command of Jesus: “Go, make disciples of all the nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you” (Mt 28: 19-20).
As the Catholic Church, mission and evangelisation is always our first priority.Evangelisation is about hearing Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Saviour of the World,calling us by name to follow Him as His disciple within His Body, the Church. As we findour happiness and salvation in Him, we instinctively want to reach out to others to share with them the Good News. For this, we must become totally dependent on the Holy Spirit and prayer. We must try our best to be holy. We must deepen our own faith-formation, and seek to serve others, especially the poor and needy.
Schools and parishes are the principle agencies of the Diocesan mission. If a parish is a Catholic Eucharistic Community, schools are Catholic Formation Communities. In them, teachers, staff, parents, governors and children are drawn to meet Jesus Christ, to receive His Word and, developing their gifts and talents, to be sent out on mission and service to all. It is this culture of vocation, the call to holiness, that is the hallmark of our schools and it is this which makes them distinctive in the educational landscape. I am deeply grateful to the Lord for the way He pours out His Holy Spirit each and every day on our schools and for the continued dedication and diligent service of all those involved with the education and formation of our young people.’
It is the intention to continually update and add to this booklet. If you have anything from your own school you would like to recommend for inclusion in a future update then please email your contribution to CASO (schools@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk)
