Dean of Identity

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." William Shakespeare

What matters is what something is, not what it is called. The identity of St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace shines proudly as a Catholic school inspired by the vision and example of Blessed Edmund Rice.

My role as Dean of Identity is to support the Principal, College Leadership Team and Staff in developing and promoting an authentic culture of Catholic Education in the Edmund Rice Tradition for the contemporary context. The legacy of the Christian Brothers Congregation at Terrace is a gift to all of the extended Terrace Family and a tradition to be honoured, celebrated and renewed. We share this privilege with the Christian Brothers, our extensive Old Boys community, families past and present and of course, the Terrace Gentlemen.

In Australia, we are a part of extended faith and education community known as Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA). We are supported and challenged by the Charter for Catholic Schools in the Edmund Rice Tradition which features four 'touchstones' that help us to enhance our core business of forming young men who know and live the wisdom of serving their God. 

Our educational philosophy is inspired by the Christian story of liberation, hope and possibility. We seek to form young men who will make a difference for the greater good of their communities and the world and times in which they live.

The Gospel and the person of Jesus Christ, who sought to make his message of compassion, justice and peace a living expression of God’s kingdom, nourish our spirituality as a faith community.

We seek excellence in pastoral care and the fostering of right relationships in building a community that we confidently call the Terrace Family. 

We are conscious of the opportunities offered to our young men and seek to provide a range of service learning, retreat and reflection, immersion and curriculum linked experiences. These activities are designed to support and challenge the Terrace gentleman to stand in solidarity with those most in need within our own school, the local community and beyond so that they have a developed awareness and respect for the dignity of all persons and a belief that they have the capacity and responsibility to speak and act for those who cannot be heard or seen.

Blessed Edmund Rice’s favourite prayer was authored by St Theresa of Avila and begins with ‘Christ has no body now but mine.’ Our prayer is that the Gentlemen of Terrace continue to take up Jesus’s wish to enter our hearts and to live in them forever.

 

Mr Chris Ryan
Dean of Identity