Special Catholic Character
Aquinas College is centred around its Special Catholic Character.
Special Catholic Character
Director of Special Character: Mr Leon Roberson
Phone: 543 2400
Email: lroberson@aquinas.school.nz
Catholic Character is the very core of all that we do at Aquinas College, symbolised by the monstrance in our crest, to remind us that Christ is at the centre. The Touchstones of truth, scholarship, joy, family, service, and prayer are our founding principles.
| Family: | We grow an authentic sense of belonging when we show care, compassion and love to all in our community. We are called to love one another just as God first loved us. As a faith community, we belong to a Family that cares for us and provides us with a nurturing environment to grow. |
| Scholarship: | We seek personal excellence in all we do, realising that hard work and resilience are necessary to reach our true potential. The Touchstone of Scholarship is connected with our search for Truth. We must develop our ability to think, reason and understand to see God’s fingerprint in creation. St. Thomas Aquinas gave us an excellent example of Scholarship in his devotion to faith and reason. |
| Truth: | Jesus is the Truth we aspire to. He is our Truth and the model for us as disciples. The search for Truth is continuous by seeking a moral way to live our lives and ground ourselves in a set of values upon which we can base our whole being. |
| Service: | Service is central to our mission and ministry as Christians. Jesus calls us to put the needs of others before our own, particularly those most vulnerable in our society. We are encouraged to recognise the face of Christ in others and respond to their needs through our understanding of Catholic social teachings. |
| Prayer: | We are called into a personal relationship with Christ through a life of Prayer. Jesus himself took time out to pray before anything he did. Through Prayer, we will grow and develop our personal relationship with our heavenly Father. Our Christian lives are a journey nourished by Prayer to support not just ourselves but those who journey with us. |
| Joy: | Knowing Jesus intimately through a personal encounter is the Joy we all aspire to and connects us to the message of the Gospel. This Joy is known as Beatitudo, the Joy that can only be found in God. Putting our trust in God and focusing on Christ rather than our circumstances enables us to experience Joy even in times of hardship. |
The Aquinas College Touchstones are based on Gospel values and reflect the Dominican connections of our Patron Saint – St. Thomas Aquinas. Each Touchstone calls us to live the values as a connected Disciple of Christ. These Touchstones permeate through every facet of college life. They are visible in our relationships, our curriculum, and in our fundamental belief of service. They highlight our focus on restorative practice, cultural responsiveness and social justice.
Prayer/Karakia is part of everyday life and students have an opportunity to participate in a Sacramental Programme. We celebrate special feast days, seasons of the Church year and Aquinas Day. Each year group participates in an annual Retreat off-site.
An awareness of social justice issues sees our students active in the community in a range of initiatives, such as the full stop van and loaves and fishes. Our younger students are involved with Leos. Students also take part in and support the Caritas challenges.
The Chanel Shield is a highlight of the year where students compete in debating, drama, speech and Scripture readings against other schools within the Hamilton Diocese. This is a great opportunity for our students to connect with the wider faith community.
We also seek to continually build stronger ties with our parish communities of St Thomas Aquinas and All Saints by the Sea.
Click here to read the most recent report on the school’s Special Catholic Character – Special Character Review Report 2022
Aquinas College School Prayer
Loving God,
We gather in your name and ask that your Spirit be with us – a Spirit of wisdom and encouragement, of gentleness and peace.
Be with us in all that we do and help us make Aquinas College into a truly Catholic educational community;
Supporting Family Life
Promoting Scholarship
Seeking Truth in all its forms
Serving and caring for others
Grounded in Prayer
And full of Joy
We make this prayer in Jesus’ name, and through the intercession of Thomas Aquinas and of all the saints,
Amen.
Sacramental Programme 2022
Interested in learning more about the Catholic faith?
Keen to go deeper in your relationship with God?
Eager to receive the sacraments of baptism, confirmation or the Eucharist?
Then register for Chosen: This Is Your Catholic Faith, a weekly faith formation programme that will begin this term. It will be led by Mr Hesqua, and we aim to run it within the school day.
The programme applies to students who are: already baptised but seeking confirmation or seeking baptism and confirmation. Once a student is confirmed they can receive Communion at our Mass, so Confirmation will also mean ‘First Communion.’
The Sacramental Programme will be run in conjunction with the Parish of St Mary’s Immaculate. Please complete this form if you would like to enrol.
Local Parish and Youth Groups
Please note the following Youth Groups that operate within our local parishes:
Parish of St Thomas Aquinas, Tauranga Moana
Website: taurangamoanacatholic.nz
The St. Mary’s Youth Group is not operating at the present time.
Youth Group of All Saints by the Sea (Yr. 7-13)
Website: allsaintsbythesea.nz
The Youth Group of All Saints by the Sea is held at St Thomas More Church on Friday nights during term time from 6.30 to 8 pm. Come along for games, faith, dinner, and fun. For more information email youthgroup@allsaintsbythesea.nz
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