Faith

Our Catholic identity and guiding principles of the Congregation of St. Joseph are firmly embedded in every aspect of life at SJA.

Guiding young women in our Catholic faith traditions and in our Catholic theology is a priority at the Academy. Theology, which is taught throughout our students’ four years, is supplemented by daily prayer, a required service program, annual retreats at every grade level, monthly liturgies, prayer and reconciliation services, peer ministry and weekly rosary.

The mission of SJA is to educate young women as responsible and unifying members of the world community. Students learn Gospel values. The theology department, in conjunction with the campus ministry team, promotes the moral values of the Catholic Church.

We see SJA as a place where young women experience a faith community and clarity of vision for the future so that their lives reflect confidence, dignity and self-worth; gospel compassion and justice; and the grace of bearers of reconciliation in our world.

As an expression of the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph, education at SJA emphasizes the importance of relationships with the dear neighbor. The service component of our curriculum is one way we encourage our students to express God’s love, both within our school community and in the context of the broader world. Through service, our students grow in awareness of themselves and become increasingly connected with all God’s creation. 

The Academy has a long-standing tradition of sponsoring spring and summer service trips both in the United States and abroad. Among the locations in which students have been immersed in service experiences are St. Anne’s Mission (Klagetoh, Arizona); Wichita, Kansas; Nicaragua; Puerto Rico; Community Builders for Peace (Kalamazoo, Michigan); CSJ/SSJ Leadership Conference (Cleveland, Ohio); SHINE (McAllen, Texas); Alive in You (Chattanooga, Tennessee); and Catholic Mission Trips Inc. (Paducah, Kentucky, and Dominican Republic).