Our Charism

St Joseph's Catholic School, The Strand, has aligned our mission and goals with the Mercy values of Love, Community and Excellence.

Our school was originally founded in 1873 by the Sisters of St Joseph. The first Parish Priest, Rev Fr Connelly applied to Mother Mary MacKillop, foundress of the Sisters of St Joseph, for teachers to help him staff a school for the children of Catholic settlers in Townsville. The Sisters of St Joseph were recalled to Brisbane five years later. In 1879 the Sisters of Mercy reopened the school and it has remained a Mercy School to this day.

For our school community, Mercy regards simply the need of the other – it lifts up and supports, it gives without measure, it is always gracious and tender.

What is Charism?

A charism is a divine spiritual gift given to an individual or group for the good of the community. Each religious order has a specific charism, a gift to be put to the service of the Church and the world.

Pope Paul VI was the first to label "charism" specifically in relation to religious institutes. He explained that the charism of the religious life is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, who is always at work within the Church.

A charism touches the very core of our existence and colours everything that we do as human beings. It allows us to see things in new ways, and to understand them even more wonderfully. We absorb a charism as we absorb sunshine, and we radiate a charism as a light pierces the darkness.