Prayer is a focal point of life at Bethlehem College. Both staff and students have the opportunity to share in daily communal prayer and to lead it. All classes, meetings and gatherings commence with prayer. Faith development and spiritual formation at Bethlehem College is fostered by prayer before each and every class, either lead by the teacher or student:

• Morning prayer during home room
• Class liturgy in either the classroom, Chapel or St Vincent’s Church
• Staff & students pray the Rosary
• Staff & students participate in the Sacramental Programme
• Encouraging positive student behaviour, participation and leadership at liturgies, especially whole school liturgies in St Vincent’s Church
• Supporting the Lenten Programme and Project Compassion
• Encouraging students to actively support Social Justice initiatives, through Faith in Action, the C.A.R.E. group and St Vincent de Paul Night Patrol.

Mass is celebrated at least once a term for our whole school community by Father Alan Gibson our Chaplain. Each year group attends mass once a term with the Parish of St Vincent’s. Special liturgies are also celebrated during the term. Bethlehem College has a rich and vibrant liturgical programme with students taking active leadership roles in music, readings, decoration and liturgical dance. The Mother’s and Father’s Day Masses and breakfasts each year are a great success with over one hundred parents and relatives in attendance.

In a spirit of creative fidelity to the love that Mary Aikenhead, the foundress of the Sisters of Charity, had for Christ and for the poor we strive to speak out boldly against all forms of injustice in whatever we do. Open to the reality that this will challenge us to respect and reverence the whole of creation the cultures and traditions of every race and nation moving us beyond our fears and prejudices as we try to respond to the needs of our times.

Project Compassion and the St Vincent de Paul Winter and Christmas appeals are important parts of the whole school social justice programme. Students have the opportunity to demonstrate their Faith in Action through outreach initiatives including visiting residents in local nursing homes and supporting refugees through Settlement Services Australia based at Ashfield.

The Charism of the Sisters of Charity who were the founders of our College 128 years ago is kept alive through our social justice work. We also acknowledge St Vincent de Paul the patron saint of our Parish, whose Charism also permeates our College and our good works.

Bethlehem students are active in their witness to the broader Catholic Church both local and universal. Our Youth Ministry Coordinator oversees the organisation of opportunities for students to participate in faith development and evangelisation events which involve prayer, liturgy and shared worship. These are often organised as informal events including after school with neighbouring diocesan schools in the Inner West.

Bethlehem College students have also represented the College as pilgrims in all recent World Youth Days including most recently in Krakow in 2016 and over 100 students will attend the Australian Catholic Youth Festival being held in Sydney in December 2017.

Connecting with our charism of the Sisters of Charity is also facilitated through Year 11 students’ voluntary participation in the St Vincent’s College Street Retreat which takes place in the July holidays each year. This five day event, attended by student and staff representatives from Sisters of Charity schools all over Australia enables those students who choose to participate and accompanying staff to see first hand the plight of the homeless in the inner city of Sydney and learn more about how we can make a difference through witness and outreach to those less fortunate than ourselves.