 |
|
| Students must have their ministry work approved to ensure that their service meets the school’s ministry criteria. |
|
Catholic Schools Week, the annual celebration of Catholic schools and their contribution to their communities and the nation, was celebrated January 25 through January 31, 2009. For more than three decades, the nation’s Catholic schools have spent the last week of January recalling what makes Catholic education special.
“With a strong emphasis on academic excellence and moral values, Catholic schools across the country enjoy high satisfaction among students and parents and high achievement rates, including high school graduation rates of more than 99 percent,” says Lynne Strutzel, Principal, Carmel Catholic High School. “This is a message we are proud to share and Catholic Schools Week gives us the opportunity to tell our story.”
The 2009 theme is “Catholic Schools Celebrate Service,” which highlights the mission of Catholic schools to provide a faith-based education that supports the whole child academically and spiritually with a continual focus on service to others. The “service” theme also brings to light that Catholic schools emphasize students serving their communities.
Service to others is at the heart of the Catholic faith and it is part of Carmel Catholic’s mission. Carmel’s Ministry Program seeks to awaken in each student an openness to serving others and an appreciation for one’s God-given talents. As freshmen, many students have little or no experience providing community service, so Carmel Catholic makes ministry service part of each student’s graduation requirement. The program requires each student to donate 20 hours of service to the community per semester. Upon graduation, each senior will have completed a minimum of 160 hours of ministry service.
| |
|
| |
Upon graduation, each senior at Carmel Catholic High School will have completed 160 hours of service to the community. |
“By teaching students the importance of giving back and helping others and then providing them the opportunities to put these concepts into action, students no longer see themselves as the center of the universe. They begin to think outside of themselves and this makes all the difference. At a young and impressionable age, each student begins to build habits of thinking of others and they slowly begin to understand that they can positively impact the world— one small act of service at a time. When they leave us, Carmel Catholic students possess the skills and understanding necessary to be Christian leaders and they are prepared to make a difference in the world,” Mrs. Strutzel explains.
Carmel junior, Elizabeth Horcher said, “I learned an important lesson while doing my ministry. I realized that I had a talent to contribute to my church. I can make my praise to God through music. I also learned how to work with a large group of people; this is vital to my ministry because every person has a part in the song. Music brings people together and it is a way for me and others to get involved in the Mass…I really enjoy my ministry.”
Stephen Ark, also a junior at the school, has found more empathy for people through his work at a local soup kitchen. “I have been working at a soup kitchen for almost four years now, but I still learn lessons. I have learned to have more empathy for people. I learned that no one would choose to be poor and that some people, for whatever reason, are continually facing challenging situations and wind up in a soup kitchen. I have learned that these people should be respected. They should not be patronized or looked down upon. In fact, I have had some good conversations with people there. Everyone deserves our respect.”
 |
|
| Community service and ministry work are hallmarks of Catholic education and Carmel students quickly learn to embrace the idea of serving others through their ministry. Carmel Catholic religion teachers require their students to write ministry reflections each semester and Carmel students often express their love for helping others in need. At Carmel, the Ministry Program helps students embrace their baptismal call of service to others. |
|
“The most important lesson I learned from my ministry was how to unselfishly serve others. Many times I would not want to wake up early to go to the food pantry or summer school, but I realized that helping the students and Waukegan families was more important than getting a few extra hours of sleep. I had to give up some free time that I could have spent with friends or relaxing during the summer, but helping people made me happy, so I did not mind the small sacrifices I had to make for my ministry. I learned that helping others is more important than helping yourself and a small effort can make a huge difference in someone’s life. I could see it from the food pantry visitors’ grateful smiles and the children’s laughs as I read stories to them,” recalls Alison Thumel, Carmel junior.
At Carmel Catholic High School, Catholic Schools Week was observed
with a Catholic Schools Week Liturgy, a faculty and staff appreciation day, a casual dress day for students, student appreciation day, and thank you cards that were sent to Carmel parents to acknowledge the important role they play in committing to Catholic education.
Catholic schools throughout the United States observed the week with special Masses, community service projects, academic and artistic showcases, and athletic and family events. Many schools held open houses so that community members could learn more about the value of Catholic education.
“Community service is a hallmark of Catholic education,” explains Karen Ristau, President of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA). “The majority of elementary and high schools participate in service projects throughout the school year ranging from food drives to rebuilding schools destroyed by hurricanes, so it was natural that we chose service as a major theme for Catholic Schools Week.”Catholic Schools Week is a joint project of the National Catholic Educational Association, the world’s largest private, professional education association, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the national public policy organization of United States bishops.
|
