Campus Ministry
As a Roman Catholic high school, Saints Peter and Paul is called to be a faith community. Under the direction of a full-time Campus Minister, the Saints Peter and Paul community offers students of all denominations the opportunity for four years of retreat, prayer/liturgy experiences, and service to others. It is the mission of the Campus Ministry Office and Theology Department to respond to this vocation by creating opportunities for the students, parents, faculty, and staff to build and experience community. As we enter into this endeavor we will be guided by two principles:
- God is central in every aspect of building a faith community
- All members of the school have essential roles in the process of building a faith community
Teaching Theology, nurturing spirituality, and promoting service are the three dimensions that will be integrated into life at Saints Peter and Paul High School to create and foster this community.
Spiritual Theme for 2009-2010:
“Jesus has a specific task in life for each and every one of us.
Each one of us is hand-picked, called by name by Jesus!
There is no one among us who does not have a divine vocation.”
Joannes Paulus II, 1982
My Dear Friends in Christ:
The Holy Father, Pope Benedict, has declared this year the ‘Year of the Priest’, a celebration and prayerful calling of the vocation of a consecrated life in Christ. As Saint Luke reminds us, “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (10:2). We continue to pray that God’s grace empowers those He has called to live a life of service to others.
John Paul II reminded us that ‘every life is a vocation’ because of God’s intimate and purposeful relationship with us. Thus, the essence of our vocation as a parent or in our professional lives is rooted in that same calling – that there is a divine purpose for what we do in life and the meaning we share and derive from that purpose.
Therefore, our school theme this year is about the examination of our life’s mission, or ‘Answering the Call: Living Our Vocation in Christ’. While we are all not called to the devotion of a priestly or religious life, each of us is called by Christ to some special, unique vocation. Our purpose in life is to find and foster our vocation and, at the same time, to instill and build up that sense of vocation in others. In our collective roles as teachers, parents, mentors, coaches, and friends, it is incumbent upon us to guide and encourage the young people entrusted to our care so that they may find fullness in Christ that comes from living one’s calling.
This year, we invite you to join our school community as we examine how we live our own lives, our unique faith journeys, and how we actuate our callings in whatever we do for the betterment of our families, colleagues and, most importantly, our children or any young person we may encounter.
As we examine our own calling, we are reminded of the fundamental precepts of our faith: That each of us is unique in the eyes of God; that we possess special innate talents and gifts we are called to actuate and share; and that life is a vocation in itself, a journey that derives itself from and carries us towards the fullness of Christ. May each of us become more aware of the special value and impact of our calling this year, may we continue to grow in the love of Christ and share our vocational journey with the wonderful young people of our school so that their callings may find clarity and direction towards Christ.
SSPP Continues Family Day Tradition
Understanding the challenges and stresses placed upon our families, the high school remains committed to dedicating time to foster family relationships. Saints Peter and Paul High School will be fostering a number of activities aimed at providing time for families for reflection, prayer, fun, or simply being present with each other.
As part of that commitment to family, there is a designated Family Day each quarter. On those days, the school will close at 3:00 with no scheduled extracurricular activities, meetings, games, etc. Families will be provided an activity idea (game, exercise, etc.), a recipe for a meal together, and a spiritual reflection. We encourage families to use those family days to take a step back from the daily frenzied pace and to spend quality time together.
The following dates have been designated Family Days for this school year. October 8th, December 17th, February 22nd, and June 3rd.
Liturgy, Prayer, and Retreats
The celebration of the Holy Mass and daily prayer are the central focus of the Saints Peter and Paul High School faith community. Through liturgical planning, Choir/Music, Eucharistic Ministry, and Lectors, students are provided a broad avenue for involvement in the spiritual life of the school.
All students of Saints Peter and Paul High School are afforded the opportunity for reflective spiritual growth through a four-year retreat program. The juniors and seniors are offered the opportunity for overnight retreat experiences while freshmen and sophomores attend day retreats.
2009-2010 Retreat Calendar |
|
|---|---|
Freshmen Retreat “Building Community” |
September 15, 2009 |
DeSpiritus Retreat “Leadership in Christ” |
October 7-8, 2009 |
Senior Retreat “Faith Alive” |
November 4-6, 2009 |
Sophomore Retreat “Self, Others & God” |
April 22, 2010 |
Junior Retreat “Leadership” |
May 20-21, 2010 |
Service Opportunities
As all members of the Saints Peter and Paul community seek to emulate the life of Christ, a diverse array of service opportunities are provided to students to become more involved with their school, parishes, and local community. Through Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity, Mission Team, Talbot Hospice, St. Vincent DePaul Society and other service opportunities, students can share their talents and time over their high school career. All students are required to participate in a Christian Service Program over their high school career at Saints Peter and Paul. Please review the Christian Service Program Booklet, including program guidelines, service project logs, and a listing of service project ideas and contacts.
To be completed by all student participants:
CHARITY OF THE MONTH
Saints Peter and Paul High School embraces charitable service as key component of theGospel values that our school stands for. Our school community sponsors a Change for Charity program, through which we identify and support a Charity of the Month, financially, through goods or services, and through the active participation of our students. Check out the following charities for the year. If interested in supporting, please contact the Campus Ministry Office at 410-822-2275, x158.
Month |
Charity |
Sponsoring Club |
|---|---|---|
| September | Habitat for Humanity | Key Club |
| October | Mercy Hospital Breast Cancer | DeSpiritus |
| November | Hospice/Food for the Poor | DeSpiritus/SGA |
| December | Brighter Christmas Fund | SGA |
| January | CARE | Senior Class |
| February | Sophomore Class Charity | Sophomore Class |
| March | Talbot Special Riders | DeSpiritus |
| April | Freshmen Class Charity | Freshmen Class |
| May | Junior Class Charity | Junior Class |
Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding the Campus Ministry program at Saints Peter and Paul High School or any of its activities, please contact Mrs. Vicki Cappa '77 by email at vcappa@ssppeaston.org or at 410-822-2275 ext.158.
