Welcome to the La Salle Academy for Faith Formation and Religious Education.

The Academy aims to develop and deliver quality teaching and research programs in realising the aspirations of the New Evangelisation.

About the Academy

The Academy operates as a joint enterprise between ACU’s Faculty of Education and Arts, Faculty of Theology and Philosophy, and Directorate of Identity and Mission, and provides an integrated approach to curriculum development, delivery and assessment, and faith formation activities.

The Academy is committed to training teachers and leaders of faith formation and religious education in a way that extends their competency and efficacy, expands their theological literacy, and equips them with a new set of skills so that they can help the Church find doorways through which contemporary Australians can enter and bring faith and life into dialogue.

Our education and training opportunities develop teachers and leaders with professional efficacy, theological literacy and the skills to bring faith and life into dialogue.

Above all else, however, teachers and leaders need to be witnesses; people who live by the spirit of faith.

Discover La Salle Commons

Discover the Signum fidei Catholic Life and Mission Program

The La Salle Academy is part of the Australian Catholic University (ACU). ACU is committed to teaching excellence and the La Salle Academy has been established to support and enhance the preparation of teachers and leaders by utilising the capacity, skills and commitment of those engaged in the ministry of Catholic education.

All ACU academics who teach in the areas of faith formation and religious education for teachers and leaders of Catholic schools are part of the La Salle Academy.

Download the Terms of Reference (PDF, 192KB)

The La Salle Academy was established in response to the passionate desire of Catholic education authorities to ensure that teachers and leaders of Catholic schools are well informed for the critical task of realising the aspirations of the New Evangelisation, which calls upon us to deepen our faith, believe in the Gospel message and go forth to proclaim it.

There are many contemporary challenges facing the Church in Australia, and indeed the western world. Among these, the La Salle Academy wants to ensure that it responds to the following realities in relation to our more secularised, pluralistic world:

  • Many seekers of the Spirit have left ecclesial practice
  • The mode of exercising Church magisterium is being challenged and there is a call to find new ways
  • The content of moral teaching is also under challenge and there is a desire for more dialogue
  • There is a more explicit pluralism of spiritualities within the Catholic tradition
  1. ACU Undergraduate Education Programs and Graduate Certificate in Religious Education
    Ensuring that ACU programs for primary Catholic school teachers and secondary school teachers of Religious Education are designed and delivered in a way that prepares  participants well for employment in contemporary Catholic schools.
  2. Catholic practice and spiritual formation
    Providing ACU undergraduate students preparing for teaching in Catholic schools with a range of formally recognised opportunities with regard to Catholic practice, spiritual formation and social justice activities.
  3. ACU Postgraduate Programs: Master of Educational Leadership, Master of Professional Studies in Theology, Master of Religious Education, Graduate Certificate in Catholic Studies
    Ensuring that the Postgraduate programs for leaders in Catholic schools continue to respond to contemporary needs and have the content and flexibility to achieve this.
  4. Catholic School Teachers: Catholic School Readiness
    Designing and delivering programs for teachers with no formal study of religious education  to ensure they are well credentialed to teach in a Catholic school.
  5. Partnerships with Catholic school authorities and providers
    Working with Catholic Education Offices and other Catholic school authorities to provide the range of activities—from professional development through to doctoral studies—that can ensure the sustainable, effective, efficient and economic delivery of services
  6. Developing ecclesial leaders
    Revising current programs and delivering new ones so as to ensure that leaders of the future have the necessary theological knowledge and understandings to be effective ecclesial leaders.
  7. Resources in faith formation and religious education
    Providing a journal(s) and other resource material, particularly web-based, for national and international academics and school professionals in the areas of faith formation and religious education.
  8. Research
    Collaborating with Catholic school authorities and other Catholic Church entities to  undertake research in the areas of faith formation, religious education, and Catholic school identity and mission.
  9. Catholic parishes and other ecclesial entities
    Exploring the possibility of programs that support the development of those who minister in parishes and other Church communities and agencies.
  10. International partnerships
    Engaging academics from international Catholic universities in the work of the Academy and attracting international students into ACU programs in the areas of faith formation, religious education and leadership.
  11. Academy Members: Support and Development
    Providing opportunities for Academy members to develop the skills required to design and deliver programs capable of ensuring that teachers and leaders can help realise the  aspirations of the New Evangelisation.

The Dean of La Salle Academy, working collaboratively with the Deputy Dean, is responsible to the Academy Senior Management Committee which is the governing body of the Academy. The Committee comprises:

The Dean is also advised by an Academy Advisory Board comprised of a Deputy Dean, two academics representing Academy members, a representative from Campus Ministry and five people from Catholic school stakeholders with expertise reflecting the strategic priorities of the Academy.

A particular focus of the New Evangelisation is to ‘re-propose’ the Gospel to those who no longer participate in the life of a faith community, and to inspire them to reconsider their journey as a person of faith. It is about inviting people to embrace the opportunities and responsibilities of Christian baptism.

The New Evangelisation is about re-proposing the Gospel to a world that no longer sees it as relevant or important. It is not, though, simply ‘re-evangelising’, it is about forging new paths in response to the changing circumstances and conditions facing the Church in her call to proclaim and live the Gospel today. During this time of the papacy of Pope Francis it is as much about inspiration as it is about exhortation.

Voices and Visions

Place your order

Videos

The nature of conversation

Understanding the nature of conversation and establishing an approach which allows us to talk gracefully together about things we may not necessarily agree on and find difficult to speak about anyway.

Watch video

Creating conversations in small groups

Creating conversations characterised by group safety, trust, non-judgmental acceptance and openness to the perspective of others through structural and attitudinal support.

Watch video

Facilitating conversations

Providing a context for boundaries and shared commitments, the facilitator creates a helpful environment by modelling conversation, managing the interaction, helping group communication, gently encouraging participation, intervening to defend previous agreements.

Watch video

Our publications

To find out more about our activities at the La Salle Academy, download and read our publications.

No 1 - Formation for Mission (PDF)

No 2 - Constants in Context (PDF)

No 3 - Ways Forward in Religious Education (PDF)

No 4 - An ecological approach to school reviews (PDF)

No 5 - Deep Learning, Thriving Lives (PDF)

No 6 - Hospitality to difference: Catholic schools and students who identify as 'LGBT' (PDF)

No 7 - Beyond the school gates (PDF)

No 8 - When the mission system is the bottom line (PDF)

No 9 - A New Annunciation (PDF)

No 10 - Fratelli Tutti: Inspiration and Challenge for Catholic Education (PDF)

No 11 - Catholic School Leadership Revisited (PDF, 2.1MB)

No 12 - A Future for Education The Principles of the Global Compact on Education (PDF, 657KB)

No 13 - Teachers in Catholic secondary schools and the New Evangelisation (PDF, 8.5MB)

No 14 - Wellsprings Formation for mission surveys. Readiness, Quality, Impact. (PDF, 6.18MB)

Order your printed copies

Contact us

For all enquiries, please contact us on +61 2 9739 2749 or submit your enquiry..

 

Have a question?

We're available 9am–5pm AEDT,
Monday to Friday

If you’ve got a question, our AskACU team has you covered. You can search FAQs, text us, email, live chat, call – whatever works for you.

Live chat with us now

Chat to our team for real-time
answers to your questions.

Launch live chat

Visit our FAQs page

Find answers to some commonly
asked questions.

See our FAQs