​Borromeo's Way

School of Education

Borromeo's Way aims to enhance leaders’ capacity to interpret the ‘signs of the times’ and respond pastorally within contemporary school communities. A distinctive feature is its international immersion experience in Ireland, offering participants the opportunity to reflect on Catholic formation within the rich spiritual heritage that shaped Catholic education in Australia through the charisms of religious orders over the past 200 years.​​

• Why study this microcredential?

  This program is designed to deepen participants’ biblical literacy and theological understanding in order to strengthen their leadership of Christian formation and Evangelisation within catholic schools. It aims to enhance leaders’ capacity to interpret the “signs of the times” and respond pastorally within contemporary school communities. A distinctive feature is its international immersion experience in Ireland, offering participants the opportunity to reflect on catholic formation within the rich spiritual heritage that shaped catholic education in Australia through the charisms of religious orders over the past 200 years.

  Through visits to significant monastic sites such as Kylemore Abbey and Glendalough, and engagement with the monastic tradition that also connects to the New Norcia Benedictine Abbey, participants situate Australian Catholic education within the life of the universal Church. The program also introduces and applies the SALT (Scripture and Liturgy Teaching) pedagogy to support whole-school formation and evangelisation planning.

  Structured around five integrated leadership modules—Spiritual Heart, Spiritual Mind, Spiritual Hands, Missionary Discipleship and Spiritual Feet—the program weaves theological reflection, spiritual renewal, and practical leadership formation into a cohesive immersion experience aligned with the itinerary.

• Microcredential summary

  Available modules

  All modules are to be completed as part of Borromeo's Way.

  • Module 1 - The Spiritual Heart of the Leader (Frayne’s Way)
  • Module 2 - The Spiritual Mind of the Leader (Salvado’s & MacKillop’s Way)
  • Module 3 - The Spiritual Hands of the Leader (Nagle’s Way)
  • Module 4 - Missionary Discipleship (Thérèse’s Way)
  • Module 5 - The Spiritual Feet of the Leader (Benedict’s Way Camino)

  Learning hours

  Each microcredential is designed to reflect approximately 30 hours of learning, including online discussion, individual study, and assessment.

  Learning hours are estimated to range from 4 to 12.5 hours per week for each module, with an estimated timeframe of 1 to 3 months needed to complete a single microcredential.

• Learning guidelines

  Upon successful completion of the Borromeo's Way microcredential, you will be able to:

  1. To deepen participants’ biblical literacy and theological understanding for leading Christian formation in Catholic schools.
  2. To strengthen a leaders’ capacity to interpret the ‘signs of the times’ and respond pastorally as a leader of formation and evangelisation in school communities.
  3. To provide a unique experience opportunity to reflect upon Catholic formation and gain insight into the rich spirituality in Ireland which made its way to Australia through the charisms of the religious orders teaching in Catholic education over the last 200 years.
  4. To embark on an international immersion/pilgrimage and discover the rich monastic traditions in Ireland (Kylemore Abbey, Glendalough) and establish links to understanding Australian contexts among a universal Church (for example, the Benedictine Abbey in New Norcia).
  5. To introduce and apply the S.A.L.T. (Scripture and Liturgy Teaching) pedagogy with other staff and student formation strategies to assist school formation and evangelisation planning.

• Assessment and course learning outcomes

  Online study
  Learning takes place entirely online with no scheduled class times. Participants engage with materials, discussions, and assessments at their own pace within set deadlines, providing maximum flexibility for balancing study, work, and personal commitments.

  Assessments
  Assessments are designed to inform reflection for school leaders to better meet the needs of current staff in Catholic Schools and planning for updated School evangelisation and formation plans for their school community.

  Learning outcomes

  Upon successful completion of all five modules, you will be able to demonstrate:

  1. Critically review and integrate key lessons from the life of Jesus and his Gospel teachings to inform Christian formation in Catholic schools.
  2. Evaluate contemporary “signs of the times” and apply them to the spiritual and faith formation needs of staff in today’s catholic school context.
  3. Critically interpret Scripture, along with relevant catholic ecclesial and educational documents, to understand their influence on evangelisation planning in catholic schools.
  4. Critically evaluate the call to missionary discipleship and apply its principles to leadership practices that foster a culture of witness, service and Gospel-centred formation within Catholic school communities.
  5. Critically reflect on latest church and NCEC formation approaches and processes, such as walking a camino, that nurture and strengthen the spiritual and faith formation capabilities of staff.

• ​Module 1 - The Spiritual Heart of the Leader (Frayne’s Way)

  Theme: The Beatitudes – leadership from the Heart of Jesus

  Traces the origins of Catholic education in WA (1846–2026 180th Anniversary of Mercy Education) and explores what makes a spiritual leader (for example, Catherine McAuley and Ursula Frayne) by visiting The Catherine McCauley International Mercy Centre in Dublin. Introduces the Bishops Mandate for Catholic Education in WA as an example of evangelisation and faith formation planning.

  Assessment: Borromeo’s Way Diary Entry

  Reflect on the learning from the five modules; highlighting personal/professional implications for Christian formation & pastoral leadership in Catholic Schools.

  Upon successful completion of each module, you will be able to:

  • Critically review and integrate key lessons from the life of Jesus and His Gospel teachings to inform Christian formation in Catholic schools.

• Module 2 - The Spiritual Mind of the Leader (Salvado’s & MacKillop’s Way)

  Theme: Mercy in action – the Good Samaritan

  Explores scriptural models of mentoring in Jesus and the more modern witness of Dom Salvado, Dom Serra, and St Mary MacKillop and how they adjusted to their ‘signs of the times’. A consideration of missionary discipleship from the work of educators in modern contexts is also undertaken, for example, Indigenous Aboriginal peoples, the Irish education context for Catholic educators and implications for teaching and leading Catholic schools across the world today as part of a universal Church living in a secular world.

  Assessment: Borromeo’s Way Diary Entry

  Reflect on the learning from the five modules; highlighting personal/professional implications for Christian formation & pastoral leadership in Catholic Schools.

  Upon successful completion of each module, you will be able to:

  • Evaluate contemporary ‘“signs of the times” and apply them to the spiritual and faith formation needs of staff in today’s Catholic school context.

• Module 3 - The Spiritual Hands of the Leader (Nagle’s Way)

  Theme: The road to Emmaus – accompaniment and recognition

  Engage Catholic social teaching and accompaniment through “Faith in Action,” and lectio divina by exploring the Good Samaritan and the Road to Emmaus. Includes immersion with the Nano Nagle Centre (Cork) and a local service-learning programs run by the Christian Brothers (for example, Wheelchairs for Kids).

  Assessment: Borromeo’s Way Diary Entry

  Reflect on the learning from the five modules; highlighting personal/professional implications for Christian formation & pastoral leadership in Catholic Schools.

  Upon successful completion of each module, you will be able to:

  • Critically interpret Scripture, along with relevant Catholic ecclesial and educational documents, to understand their influence on Evangelisation Planning in Catholic schools.

• ​Module 4 - Missionary Discipleship (Thérèse’s Way)

  Theme: Community, Word, Eucharist – the apostolic community

  The immersion at Kylemore Abbey (Galway) engages key Scripture and through exploring the Rule of Benedict and a visit to the Benedictine Monastery we undertake an understanding of what makes one a true missionary disciple. Many of the Nuns at the Abbey are missionaries themselves having come from all over the world, listening to their story is an impactful encounter with faith and integral to the immersion experience. The module finally integrates and links a centred Benedictine spirituality to the Australian experiences of the great missionary Dom Salvado(New Norcia). Participants relate the relevance of these experiences to their own leadership style and context.

  Assessment: Borromeo’s Way Diary Entry

  Reflect on the learning from the five modules; highlighting personal/professional implications for Christian formation & pastoral leadership in Catholic Schools.

  Upon successful completion of each module, you will be able to:

  • Critically evaluate the call to missionary discipleship and apply its principles to leadership practices that foster a culture of witness, service and Gospel-centred formation within Catholic school communities. Centred formation within Catholic school communities.

• ​Module 5 - The Spiritual Feet of the Leader (Benedict’s Way Camino)

  Theme: The Lord is our shepherd on the pilgrim path (Psalm 23)

  Practices undertaken include experiences with: praying using the Visio Divina; a short Irish Camino as part of the Immersion experience; and exploring links to Irish Catholic Church Scripture and art through reading historical documents (for example, Drummond Missal; Book of Kells). An Immersion visit to Glendalough which supports prayerful reflection is a wonderful opportunity for participants to link scripture to their current school Evangelisation Plans by also evaluating key National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) formation documents.

  Assessment: Borromeo’s Way Diary Entry

  Reflect on the learning from the five modules; highlighting personal/professional implications for Christian formation & pastoral leadership in Catholic Schools.

  Final Assessment: Quiz (Module LO 1-5)  — Formation & Education

  Taken at the end of Module 5:  Critically examine the interplay between formation and education in Catholic schooling; justify with Scripture, NCEC & Vatican docs; apply to Bishops’ Mandate, Plenary Council & Synod; propose Evangelisation Plan responses.

  Upon successful completion of each module, you will be able to:

  • Critically reflect on latest Church and National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) formation approaches and processes like walking a camino that nurture and strengthen the spiritual and faith formation capabilities of staff.

• Entry requirements

  To be eligible for admission to the Borromeo’s Way Microcredential applicants must also meet the following specific requirements.

  • Open to Senior and Emerging Leaders of Catholic Schools.
  • Hold a current passport with more than six (6) months until expiry.

• Enrolment

  Enrolment is now open and can be completed at any time, offering participants the flexibility to begin when they feel prepared.

  The Ireland immersion component of Borromeo's Way will take place from 26 September to 5 October 2026. Applications for Borromeo's Way and the Ireland immersion will close on 8 June 2026.

  How to enrol

  Follow the steps outlined below to enrol in available modules for Borromeo’s Way:

  1. Go to the application form via the payment gatewayy
  2. Click on 'Create Booking.'
  3. Select your 'Student Type.'
  4. Complete the online payment form.
     1. Enter your personal details.
     2. Choose your modules.
  5. Click 'Add to Order.'
  6. Review your selections and click 'Process Payment.'
  7. Select your preferred payment method from the list.
  8. Enter your details and click 'Pay Now' to finalise your payment.

  After you successfully complete the online application and payment form, you will receive a confirmation email with details on how to access the learning materials.

  Conditions of enrolment

  By enrolling into any of the available modules, you agree to the following conditions:

  • The university has the right to cancel classes at any time prior to module/class commencement and will automatically refund any paid fees.
  • Students must pay full fees at the point of enrolment and access to modules is conditional on payment being received.
  • A student must apply to the Facilitator to withdraw from a micro-credential, and must do so before the census date to avoid financial penalties.

• Fees and costs

  2026 Fees

  • Individual modules: $130 AUD
  • Full cost (5 modules): $650 AUD

  Fees excluding GST.

  Please note that participants are responsible for all Ireland immersion travel costs as part of Borromeo's Way.

  Refund conditions

  Refund of paid fees will only occur under the following circumstances:

  • Student withdraw from a module prior to commencement or by the published census date (refer to the micro-credential outline and confirmation of enrolment email for further information)
  • Student is liable for the full tuition fee for withdrawals after this date
  • The University cancels the module
  • Authorisation from the National Head of School

• More information

  Considering your uni options?

  Our advisors provide support throughout the process of choosing modules and completing our application. If you need advice about studying microcredentials at Notre Dame, please contact Sheona Kaschula.

  Email: sheona.kaschula@nd.edu.au
  Phone: +61 (08) 9433 0132

About the facilitators

​​Dr John Topliss
PhD
Program Coordinator Religious Education

Email: john.topliss@nd.edu.au​