It is the special function of the Catholic school to develop in a school community an atmosphere animated by a spirit of liberty and charity based on the Gospel. It enables young people to grow at the same time in that new life which has been given them in baptism.

Grade 9 – Semester 1

Introduction to Catholicism

This course will prepare the students to adapt to the learning environment of Theology. It also intends to familiarize the students who are part of other faiths to learn what Catholics believe. The course prepares the students for a higher level of Theology. In addition, this course will not only examine the aspects of faith, but also the aspects of Catholic intellect based on Scripture and Tradition. It will cover the Holy Trinity, the teachings of Jesus, the significance of Mary, and the saints in the Holy Roman Church.

Grade 9 – Semester 2

Paschal Mystery

The purpose of this course is to help students understand all that God has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ. It will examine the purpose of incarnation and the two natures of Jesus: divine and human. It will examine the events during the ministry of Jesus, including His preaching, healings, and how these events reflect the mission of Jesus to the world. Lastly, this course will examine the narratives of how the Passion, Death, Resurrection, Ascension, and how these events bring humanity to Redemption and Reconciliation with God.

Grade 10 – Semester 1

Ecclesiology

The purpose of this course is to provide knowledge about the purpose of the institution of the Church by Jesus. Students will be introduced to the fact that the Church continues to flourish for almost two thousand years with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This will help students understand why the Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. In addition, they will examine how the Church transmits the faith through Scripture and Tradition, and how it relates to the salvific plan of God. Finally, they will come to know not only about the life of the Church, but also the sacred nature of the Church including the role and the purpose of hierarchy.

Grade 10 – Semester 2

Liturgy and Sacraments

This course allows students to understand how Catholics encounter Christ through the seven Sacraments. By examining each Sacrament, students will explore its biblical basis which could be traced back to the Old Testament and its institution by Jesus. Students will examine the rites, and how it is performed both in Western Catholicism and Eastern Catholicism as well as the effects the Sacraments as an experience of the vision of heaven. Finally, this course will cover the challenges both the minister of the Sacrament and the recipient may face, that could both impede, and which could ultimately result in the invalidation of the Sacrament.

Grade 11 – Semester 1

Christian Morality

This course will extensively examine the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. These laws will enable the students to reflect on their personal growth as people who are made in the image and likeness of God. it will help the students to navigate various obstacles and challenges through Catholic moral perspective. Throughout their lives, they will have to make various decisions that can either help or hinder their growth as Christians. Thus, the students will be able to approach these matters with a Christian based approach and response that is expected of followers of Jesus.

Grade 11 – Semester 2

Catholic Social Teaching

This course reinforces Christian Morality but with focus on the reality of the problems that have roots from the period of the Old Testament. It also answers to the call of Blessed John XIII to incorporate the Catholic Social Teaching to Catholic high school education. The emphasis of this course is on the understanding of the challenges of the contemporary world and how the Catholic Church addresses these challenges. Students will be introduced to the Catholic Social teaching that is primarily composed of encyclical letters and cover the issues of wealth and poverty, law, justice, peace, war, humanity, freedom, and obligations.

Grade 12 – Semester 1

Church History

This course is a comprehensive examination of the history of the Catholic Church. This includes major events in the history of the Church beginning from the life of the founder, Jesus Christ. This course will examine the role of the Church throughout history and how members of the Church, from the Pope to the ordinary lay people, transformed and shaped the society to what it is today whether for better or for worse. In addition, this complex examination of the history also helps the students understand about what really happened in the history of the Church to avoid falling into the false narratives against her. Finally, this course helps the students debunk the myths that surround the Church from the time of her foundation.

Grade 12 – Semester 2

Faith and Science

This course is not reconciliation but a complex examination of faith and science. It will examine the role the Church has played since the beginning of her existence. This course will help students to understand how faith plays a role in the scientific world. The topics will include major contributions of the Church in the scientific world such as Astronomy, Mathematics, Biology, and more. In addition to these topics, this course will also cover the reconciliation of evolution and creationism, and the rhetoric which sprang up that made faith and science appear to contradict one another.

Grade 12 – Semester 1

Sacred Scripture: Old Testament

This course is an examination of the Old Testament, beginning from the Book of Genesis to the Deuterocanonical. It provides an overview of the Sacred Scripture based on the theological principles for understanding and interpretation of it. The focus of this course is how these events point us to the message of Salvation, such as the Incarnation and Paschal Mystery. Each book reveals a hidden path that plays in the saving plan of God. This course will highlight the themes that constitute the Salvation History. The aim of this course is to engage students into appreciation of the Sacred Scripture, its beauty, as the source of spiritual insight, moral template, and how an individual is given virtue of hope.

Grade 12 – Semester 2

Sacred Scripture: New Testament

This course is the culmination of the course in Sacred Scripture. The aim is to reveal Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament. This course will also examine the connection between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Just like the Old Testament course, it provides an overview of the Sacred Scriptures based on the theological principles for understanding and interpretation of it. This includes the historical overview of Israel during the time of Jesus, the culture, way of life, and other matters that influenced the writers of the New Testament.

St. Mary High School

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