The St Kevin’s community has identified four key values that specifically mark it as a Catholic community in the South Island of New Zealand.
As people of fire, members of the St Kevin’s community seek to build a deep sense of family.
Fire people are people of integrity. We live in and educate for a world that is being torn apart by greed.
Fire people are people of respect. Core to our Catholic Christian life is a profound belief in the dignity of every person.
For the fire people of St Kevin’s, the pursuit of excellence is not a journey taken alone. It is one supported by community, faith, and the knowledge that God walks alongside them.
The core values of St Kevin’s together form FIRE.
There are many images of “fire” in the Holy Scripture. Fire is essential for life; all life on the planet is dependent upon our Sun. Many seeds only release their life after an experience of fire. Often things of great beauty — such as a diamond, gold or pottery- come out of fire. Down through history, human beings have gathered around fire, shared stories, and found their way home because of light; because of fire. At Pentecost, the “fire” of God’s Spirit descended upon the believers and gave them courage to be “good news” for our world.
The St Kevin’s community is on a journey. Like the early Jewish community, we too journey towards the Promised Land; a land/a time of justice and peace, reconciliation and respect, love and celebration of the dignity of all. Like all journeys, we often walk in darkness; through times of dark — of hope lost, of dreams shattered, of apparently overwhelming odds stacked against us.
The books of Genesis and Exodus follow the journey of Moses and the chosen people to freedom in the land of Canaan. On this journey, which (metaphorically) took forty years wandering in the desert, the people of God were surely tested — just as we will be. On this journey, Yahweh their God never left them, never abandoned them. Yahweh went before them — as Yahweh does for the St Kevin’s community today — as a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night.
As Fire people, the members of the St Kevin’s community strive to live the ideals set before us by the Gospels and the example of the lives of Dominic and Edmund.
“Yahweh preceded them, by day in a pillar of cloud to show them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could march by day and night. The pillar of cloud never left its place ahead of the people during the day, nor the pillar of fire during the night.”
As people of fire, members of the St Kevin’s community seek to build a deep sense of family. Families are places of welcome and acceptance, of care and shared responsibility.
A family centred on the Gospel of Jesus will be characterised by service for “the son of man came not to be served but to serve” (Mt 20:24–28). St Paul, when writing to the people of Rome, exhorted them to be a community of care and compassion. Paul named the differing gifts that we each bring to the life of the family and invites us to use these gifts (whether they be teaching, encouraging, practical service, leadership and more) for the service of all (Romans 12:3–13).
Ultimately, St Paul, when writing to the small Christian community in Ephesus, encouraged them to lead lives worthy of their calling—to be people of love for our world. Each of us in the St Kevin’s community is called to support each other in love; to be “as family” to each other. This will ask much humility and patience, will be seen in gentleness, and will be born out in great peace and unity.
“I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you therefore to lead a life worthy of the vocation to which you were called. With all humility and gentleness, and with patience, support each other in love. Take every care to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together…”
Fire people are people of integrity. We live in and educate for a world that is being torn apart by greed. The evils of poverty and war, violence and abuse, isolation and anger, hatred and rejection appear at times to be all around us.
Members of a community such as St Kevin’s are challenged to be women and men of integrity in the face of all of this. Like “fire within the night”, the St Kevin’s person encourages, inspires, affirms and brings hope through their daily small choices to be people of integrity.
Integrity shows itself in honesty, in truth, in selflessness and in right living. When we strive to live lives of integrity, we are like Jesus, who made a deep impression on the people because he taught with authority.
People of integrity are called to “act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with their God” (Micah 6:8).
“Therefore anyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible person who built their house on rock…”
Fire people are people of respect. The word respect comes from the Latin “respecere”, which means to “look again”. When one “looks again”, we truly see—we see past labels, beyond negatives, to the gift within.
Core to our Catholic Christian life is a profound belief in the dignity of every person. Our education at St Kevin’s seeks to form students who have eyes of respect—for themselves and for others.
Like the Samaritan in the Gospel story, we are called to show compassion and respect to all people, especially those in need. Our mission of service is based on the belief that every person is unconditionally loved and valued.
Each encounter we have with others is an opportunity to recognise the sacred dignity within them—to recognise “holy ground”.
“Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground…”
Of all the core values of St Kevin’s, excellence is the one that demands particular attention.
At St Kevin’s, every student is encouraged to become the best version of themselves—to discover their gifts and develop them fully. Excellence is not just about achievement, but about growth, courage, and striving to go beyond perceived limits.
For the fire people of St Kevin’s, the pursuit of excellence is not a journey taken alone. It is one supported by community, faith, and the knowledge that God walks alongside them.
Those who strive for excellence will discover strength, purpose, and freedom—and will soar like eagles.
“Those who hope in Yahweh will regain their strength, they will put out wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; walk and never tire.”
We warmly welcome families to discover what makes St Kevin’s College special. Visit us, meet our staff, and experience our community in action.
