Working closely with administration and the religion department, Campus Ministry seeks to achieve its goal by instructing, encouraging and actively supporting the individual student's personal spiritual growth and development, as integrated within a uniquely identified Catholic and Marist-influenced environment. This is achieved through the integration of peer ministry, liturgy, Christian service, retreats and pastoral counseling.
Students play a vital role in the faith formation of their peers. A peer minister lives out their call to discipleship by sharing Gospel values in their everyday life. Peer Ministry at Notre Dame Preparatory School relies on the example of our Blessed Mother, the first disciple of Christ. Students are part of a team of their peers who will depend on their talents, leadership, faith and support to build up our faith community through service, retreat, liturgy and prayer.
Peer Leader Program: An outreach program designed to help incoming freshmen and transfer students adjust socially and academically to Notre Dame Preparatory. The goal is to model the Marist charism of hospitality and inclusion by being present and engaged with the newest members of our community. A Peer Leader is a servant leader.
Christians in Action (CIA): An integral part of Campus Ministry, students are involved in all aspects of planning and implementation of Liturgies, Prayer services, retreats and social justice awareness. In keeping with our mission statement to help form Christian People, students are empowered and encouraged to be active participants in their own faith.
Considered the highest form of prayer in the Catholic Church, Kindergarten through Grade 12 students gathers together to celebrate the Eucharist at least once a month. Everyone in the school community is invited to participate in the various ministries: Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Altar Servers and Music Ministry. In addition to monthly liturgy service, students regularly plan and participate in Stations of the Cross, Adoration, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
God and the child have a unique relationship with one another, particularly at a young age. At Notre Dame Lower School, we recognize and foster this special relationship through Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS), a religious formation methodology for children ages 3-12.
Based on Montessori principles of education, CGS was developed in Rome in 1954 by a Catholic Hebrew and Scripture scholar, Sofia Cavaletti. Children learn in a specially prepared environment called the Atrium, a sacred, “hands on” space where children hear, ponder and celebrate the most essential mysteries of our faith as revealed in Sacred Scripture and Liturgy. Catechists in the Atrium receive specific training in the methodology. Materials are carefully prepared to foster in children the inherent longing for a relationship with God and curiosity about the elements of our faith.
The Atrium at the lower schoolwelcomed students in Pre-K 3 to first grade in January of 2018. Currently students in second and third grades also attend, with plans to expand up to sixth grade.
Service-learning is an integral part of the Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy experience. As Marists, we are called to reflect the spirit of Mary by being gentle, loving, relational, inclusive and merciful.
Service-learning is guided by the school mission of providing opportunities to become Christian people and upright citizens. Service-learning challenges students, faculty and staff alike to learn about their community and its needs, and then respond in loving service in order to transform the world in the name of Jesus.
Our program reflects Notre Dame’s International Baccalaureate philosophy of experiential learning. Students do not “tally” hours, rather, they accomplish learning outcomes. Students will self-evaluate using a service-learning and skills rubric defining their learning outcomes and reflecting on their service and its impact on themselves and others.
Students in grades 6-12 participate in grade-level retreats. Juniors and Seniors also have an optional Kairos retreat they may attend. It's a four day retreat providing an opportunity to contemplate God's role in their lives.
The Campus Ministry team works in conjunction with the school counseling office to provide emotional, psychological, physiological and spiritual guidance to students struggling with issues such as stress, relationships, death and faith formation.
