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. 

STUDENT TRAVEL
Mission Trips: The goal of the SJA Mission Trip Program is to provide an encounter with Christ in the poor that leads to conversion and propels students to a life of service in local communities. In order to foster an encounter with Christ in the poor that we serve, students are immersed in prayer and the sacraments during the experience, and relational service is prioritized. After a mission trip experience, students are challenged to take what they’ve learned and invest it in meeting the needs of the Baton Rouge community. SJA students are afforded the opportunity to participate in a variety of mission trips each year. Among the service immersion trips we offer are St. Anne’s Mission (Klagetoh, Arizona); Alive in You (various cities); Hand in Hand Ministries (Belize City, Belize); and Romero Center Ministries (Camden, NJ).

Catholic Leadership Encounter: The Catholic Leadership Encounter is a 10-day workshop held at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado. CLE focuses on servant leadership, encouraging and empowering students to embrace their God-given gifts while recognizing and meeting the needs of their community.

CSJ/SSJ Leadership Conference: The CSJ/SSJ Leadership Conference enables students from the Congregation of St. Joseph’s three schools to come together to deepen their understanding of the Sisters’ charism and their founding history. The leadership conference is held each summer in the city of a host school. The opportunity is open to eight rising juniors and seniors.