Crescent College Comprehensive Celebrated Their Jesuit Ethos in a Day of Workshops

Working as a Community

Joe Barrett, Niamh Corbett and Ciara Beuster from educatemagis.org an online platform for our global community. Over 800 schools worldwide

Visitors from the Jesuit Works as well as Services local to the school came together on Oct 10th to explore and Celebrate the Schools Ethos. Ciara Beuster from Educate Magis shared her links with the Global Network and encouraged teachers to engage in their common mission with members of our Wider Community of 850 schools worldwide. The Galway based online education community connects teachers from Jesuit and Ignatian Schools, bringing our community close together with exciting opportunities to share our work and engage more fully. This presentation by Ciara was an ideal opening to a day when Crescent staff were focusing on their Mission.

The day gave teachers opportunities to reflect on the school’s core values, network with Jesuit Works and find tools to proceed. As one English teacher commented, ‘today is not about changing what I do, it is about informing what I do’.

Finding God in all things

Co-ordinator of Ethos Grainne Delaney planned the day for the staff and led an explanation of the Examen which teachers could explore for personal use or with the students in the classroom, no matter what their subject. A video clip of Brendan mc Manus S.J encouraged staff to ‘watch the video of their day’, and like St.Ignatius ‘Find God’s presence there’.

Diarmuid Mullins, Grainne Delaney and Brendan Lunn join Paddy Greene SJ in an exploration of dreams

Cura Personalis

Sr.Helen Culhane from the award winning children’s Grief Centre told the story of the bereaved child in the school setting and alerted teachers to the importance of their role in supporting them.

Peter Mc Verry SJ and John Gavin discuss the Jesuit response to homelessness on Crescent Ethos Day

A Faith that does Justice

David Moriarty from the Jesuit Refugee Service and Dr. Ciara Murphy from the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice alerted us to the Jesuit response and Mission to current world Crisis.

Inclusion was a critical learning point on the day and visitors from the Limerick Islamic and Cultural Centre and from GOSHH (addressing transitioning) challenged us to consider, care of those who are in a minority in the Crescent Community.

Fr. Jim Maher SJ brought staff on a journey of discovery when he presented some insight into St. Ignatius and Decision Making. He encouraged a calm state of mind, to achieve clarity in times of decision making. Thus achieving a sense of consolation and readiness to move on.

Fr. Paddy Greene S.J and Fr. Peter McVerry SJ Awaked us to two very different realities: the importance of paying attention to our dreams and the challenge of homelessness, two very different types of ‘wake up call’.

Crescent’s Ethos Day, was a welcome day awarded by the Principal in recognition of the Importance of valuing our Jesuit Mission, past, present and future.