Antonine College is proud to launch Spiritus in 2026 - a whole-school youth ministry pathway that walks alongside every student from Year 7 to Year 12 in their spiritual, personal, and leadership formation.
Spiritus is the College's implementation of the CSYMI model - a structured approach to Catholic school evangelisation built around faith formation, student ministry, and leader formation. It is a living pathway that students enter and grow through, experiencing prayer, Bible study, service, and retreat leadership along the way.
Three Strands, One Vision
Spiritus is built around three interlocking strands that work together to create a rich and flexible formation experience:
1. Spiritus Groups: Extra-curricular gatherings for community, prayer, formation and service - running across all year levels.
2. Spiritus Electives: Timetabled subjects offering a deeper, structured formation pathway for students who want to go further.
3. Youth Academy: For Years 11 and 12: senior leadership formation, student-led ministry, mentoring, and mission responsibility.
The Spiritus Journey: Year by Year
Each year level has a tailored offering:
- Years 7 & 8 - Faith Club: Weekly gatherings for community, prayer, and discussion. Year 8s can also take The Amazing Race elective in Semester 2.
- Years 9 & 10 - Catch the Wave + Bible Study: A semester elective on identity, discipleship, and service, alongside a year-long Sermon on the Mount study group.
- Year 11 - Growing Leaders: Students step into leadership roles in prayer, service, and retreat coordination.
- Year 12 - Youth Academy: Senior students mentor younger cohorts, lead retreats, and carry real ministry responsibility.
Faith in Action: Service Learning and the Corporal Works of Mercy
Faith must be lived, not just learned. Across 2026, Spiritus intentionally walks the whole school through all seven Corporal Works of Mercy, with each year level engaging in tangible service experiences through partners including Caritas Australia, St Vincent de Paul, and ACRATH.
Retreats: Student-Led Encounters with God
All students are actively involved in planning and leading retreats for junior year levels — a powerful expression of peer ministry and the Spiritus journey coming full circle.
What Can Families Expect?
In 2026, families will see Spiritus come to life through regular group meetings, timetabled electives, and retreat events across the year. Student voice is built in from the start, and the College is committed to ensuring the program stays rich and relevant. More details - including retreat dates and group schedules - will be shared as the year unfolds.
- Mr Fadi Elbarbar