Head heart hands formation approach

The head, heart, hands formation approach

The Catholic school is a path that leads to the three languages that a mature person needs to know: the language of the mind, the language of the heart, and the language of the hands.

Pope Francis: Church for Schools Day, 2014.

This reflects a holistic approach to formation – a head heart and hands approach.

• Knowledge (The ‘Head’) is a vital component of formation.
• Formation must also include a strong experiential dimension (The ‘Heart’) that allows for deep and reflective learning.
• A genuinely Christian approach must also see an application of knowledge, skills and practices (The ‘Hands’) for the individual and the community to be a difference in the world.

The head, heart and hands design also recognises that each of us has a different gateway to the formation journey that is as unique as we are. Thus, while one person may be nurtured most easily through focused reading, another may find God more easily in their relational connections with people. Others yet may be drawn to service activities.

Many people find the Eucharist and formal worship their deepest nurturing pathway; while others connect with God most easily in nature, immersed in the beauty of creation. This process of formation allows for diverse ways of encounter that acknowledge different entry points and modes of learning.

Knowledge, experience and the discipline of practice and application in everyday life leads the individual deeper in this process, allowing for the inner journey to be outwardly expressed through prayer and worship, contemplation, acts of service and justice, and love for those on the margins.