Spiritual Life
Canberra Grammar School seeks to live as a Christian community. Thus, the School culture is framed by the Christian tradition and built upon a foundation of faith, ethics and moral principles. The pillars of scripture, tradition and reason form the foundations of the School's life and practice.
The School accepts students of very different backgrounds and therefore recognises the great variety of belief and spiritual traditions in which our young people are raised; we endeavour to encourage and enable individuals to explore the spiritual life. Above all, they are urged to engage fully in their own search for meaning. The Religious and Values Education program is designed to complement the culture and worship that characterise community life.
The Chaplaincy
Worship and religious teaching follow the contemporary practice of the Anglican Church of Australia. Canberra Grammar School has strong links with the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn and is committed to the Vision Statements for the Diocese. All students attend Chapel each week, with boarders attending on Sunday evenings, and opportunities exist for boys to actively participate in Chapel Services. Each senior House has a Sacristan (usually Year 12) who plays a significant part in planning, officiating and fostering House involvement in Chapel. Gathering in Chapel is a significant statement of corporate priority and signifies the common life of the School community.
The Chaplain is available for pastoral support and advice to all members of the Grammar family, along with members of staff involved in pastoral work – the Director of Student Development, Counsellors, House Masters, Tutors and others.
The Chaplaincy covers the entire School community, students from the earliest years to Year 12, their families, former students, members of staff and their families. This includes baptisms, weddings and funerals, either in the Chapel of Christ the King or elsewhere.
Baptism and Confirmation are significant events in the spiritual life of families and individuals; preparation for these is available through the Chaplaincy.
The Chapel of Christ the King
The Chapel is a powerful symbol of the School’s Christian foundation and is the focal point for worship at Canberra Grammar School. It is regularly open to the School community. Members of the wider School community are welcome at all regular services, including the weekly Eucharist (Holy Communion) which takes place at 8.00am every Wednesday in term time. Occasional community services are advertised in advance.
Weekly Events
Senior House Chapel
2:00pm Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
7:00pm Sunday (Manaro House)
Junior School Chapel
10:30am Friday
Students at Southside and Northside gather for a service every other Wednesday at 2:15pm.
Spiritual development
The School recognises that an awareness of the transcendent begins early and we encourage the nurture of the very young in religious practice, discussion and thought, both at home and at school. Critical to this is the creation of experiences that are appropriate to age and development. Honouring our own foundations and respectful of those traditions within each family, we strive to teach and nurture faith in God, to respond to human need with loving service, and to safeguard the integrity of creation. It is our aspiration to educate young leaders of the future who are distinguished by compassion that stems from the fundamental moral principles of our faith: the profound obligation to care for others and for the world around us, to be guided in all actions by empathy and by relationship with God, to give more than we receive, to serve and to love.
Although administered independently, the School has strong formal links with the Anglican Church through the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn and enjoys collaboration with the other Anglican Schools and organisations, especially Canberra Girls' Grammar School, with whom we have a memorandum of understanding to foster co-operation wherever possible.
Our population is diverse and we respect the variety of religions and traditions within our community, seeking always to be sincere, open-minded and reflective in spiritual matters, rather than assertive or dogmatic. Our Religious and Values Education program is thus designed to share understanding and experience and to stimulate discussion on many religions, philosophy and experiences of the spirit. It is an essential and rigorous part of our academic curriculum and is distinct from the Chaplaincy.