Our Charism

St Joseph’s Catholic School's community integrates faith and learning, enlivened by the Josephite charism. Filled with the spirit, we aspire to encounter Jesus, love, learn and serve God and one another in the footsteps of St Joseph and St Mary MacKillop.

St Joseph's Catholic School, Mount Isa, is founded on the charism of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop which may be summarised as:

• A radical trust in the Providence of God
• A loyal service of the Church
• A readiness to discern the urgent needs of the time
• Faith and courage to risk suffering and failure for the sake of the Kingdom
• A life of poverty and prayer

Our school community endeavours to live out this special charism through enacting our school motto – Love, Learn, Serve. 

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.