Our Community & Culture
St Joseph’s values the partnerships between students, families, businesses and schools in our broader community as it can bring mutual benefits and maximise student engagement and achievement.
We network with:
- St Vincent De Paul
We organise school events and take part in community events that provide opportunities to showcase students' talents, raise awareness for local issues or concerns, and extend social networks. These events can help to create a more cohesive community.
At St Joseph's Primary School, we encourage your family to share these experiences with your child.
- ANZAC Day
- Murwillumbah Rural Show
Students belong to three house teams that promote connections to our Catholic story and a deeper sense of belonging. Houses are used for sporting events, assemblies and gatherings.
Parker House is named after the first Parish Priest of the South Murwillumbah Parish, Fr Bede Parker. The colour of Parker House is red.
Leonard House is named after Fr Eamon Leonard, the last Parish Priest of the South Murwillumbah Parish. The colour of Leonard House is gold.
MacKillop House is named after Australia’s only Saint and a founding figure in Catholic education in Australia, St Mary of the Cross. The colour of MacKillop House is green.
God chose Saint Joseph to be Jesus' father on earth. The Bible tells us that he was a 'just man.' That means he was a good man, honest, fair, and God-loving. God knew that Jesus would need a foster father to raise him and teach him.
After an angel told Mary that she would be the Mother of God, Saint Joseph wondered what to do. An angel appeared to him in a dream and told him not to worry, that the child was the Messiah, conceived by the Holy Spirit. Joseph was to be her husband and protect the child as He grew. Joseph decided to trust the angel and God. He married Mary and took her into his home.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the angel appeared to Joseph again, warning him that the Child was in danger. Joseph obeyed the angel's message again and took his family to Egypt to escape from Herod's soldiers. After many years, the Holy Family finally returned to their home village of Nazareth.
Not much else is known about Saint Joseph. The 30 years between the Nativity and the beginning of Jesus' travelling and teaching are called 'the hidden years.' The only other event the Bible tells us about the Child Jesus' life and about Saint Joseph was the Finding in the Temple when Jesus was missing for three days, and finally, Joseph and Mary found Him in the Temple teaching the scribes and elders.
Saint Joseph was probably older than Mary and probably died before Jesus began his ministry. As a saint in Heaven, he still acts as a husband and father to his family and the Church and will intercede for us on many occasions. He is invoked for aid in selling homes, for help to the poor, support and protection of fathers and families and is the patron of many countries.
In 1870 Pope Pius IX declared him patron of the Universal Church.