PASTORAL PLAN FOR HOLY TRINITY CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL Ut Omnes Unum Sint That All May Be One

Transcription

1 PASTORAL PLAN FOR HOLY TRINITY CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL Ut Omnes Unum Sint That All May Be One Principal: Humberto Cacilhas BHNCDSB Theme: Act Justly, Love Tenderly, Walk Humbly With Our God

2 MISSION STATEMENT Holy Trinity Catholic High School is a Christ-centered community rooted in: Celebrating the dignity and worth of each member Recognizing Christ and His message in our daily journey Nurturing the ministry of presence VISION STATEMENT In order to meet the pastoral and spiritual needs of the school community, the vision of the Holy Trinity Catholic High School Pastoral Plan is to identify who we are as a Catholic community, form our staff and students in the Catholic faith and Tradition, link all community members to the local Church and finally, integrate all staff and students of the school community into the life and mission of the Catholic Church. We do so in recognizing that it is in our response to the needs of all young people, including staff members, in the fostering of their faith in Jesus Christ and their communion with the Holy Trinity, and drawing them into responsible participation in the life, mission, and ministry of the Catholic Church. OUR PASTORAL PLAN IS BASED ON THESE TENETS 1. Jesus is our Lord and Saviour. 2. Jesus is revealed through the scriptures. 3. Jesus is at the heart of our community. 4. Jesus is in the sacraments of the Church. 5. Jesus calls us to service. 6. The spiritual dimension of the person is an essential factor in education. 7. The partnership of family, church and school is essential to Catholic education. PASTORAL PLAN OUTLINE This Pastoral Plan is an outline only of plans for the year. In-depth planning is done from month to month to meet the ongoing needs of the school faith community, as students and staff collaborate to plan themes and details for occasions such as Thanksgiving, Advent, Lent, Graduation, and School Masses

3 Mass, Liturgies, and Prayer Services Eucharist- The Source and Summit As a community of faith, we celebrate the Eucharist with school Masses during the beginning and end of of the school year and also during Advent and Holy Week. School-wide Eucharistic celebrations are planned collaboratively by students, staff, and the chaplaincy leader. School liturgies, Mass and prayer services may include music and may include liturgical dance, liturgies and prayer services may also include drama. The sacrament of Reconciliation will be offered during Advent and Lent. Daily Prayer We unite ourselves in prayer with the universal Church by praying for the intercession of the Holy Trinity and all the Saints, and for our own personal intentions. All students and staff are invited to participate in the morning prayer. Every class throughout the day is started with reflection and prayer, led by the classroom teacher. Morning reflections are the responsibility of the chaplaincy leader to organize with student and staff volunteers. The chaplaincy leader and staff encourage students to submit and/or read their own prayers and reflections for the morning reflection. Morning reflections attempt to focus on the concerns of youth, God s infinite love and mercy, the Church s preferential option for the poor, and the teaching of Gospel values. Saints and important days in the Church calendar are noted. Catholic Education Week We will endeavour to form a Catholic Education Week committee which meets prior to the week and organizes various events for the school community highlighting the many unique and distinctive initiatives modeled by Catholic education. We will also continue to offer a schoolwide liturgy. St. Mary Catholic Church We continue to work with and support our local parish in all efforts to closer link our staff and students to parish ministry. This involves both the support and many resources needed from both school and parish in order to help strengthen and provide opportunity for this to take place. We will be open to collaboration on programs/events both at the church and school such as music ministry, etc. Grade 8 Family of Schools We will continue to offer Grade 8 orientation programs for our family of schools that help our grade 8 students to better prepare themselves to enter the high school community. The chaplaincy leader s focus is on the gifts of the Holy Spirit alive in each of us and bringing our unique gifts to the school to help make it a better place. Social Justice and Charity We will continue to support and foster a working relationship with We will continue to fundraise with events throughout the school year such as Development and Peace, St. Vincent de Paul, Save a Family Program. Our primary focus moving forward in our partnerships will be to provide - 3 -

4 education around many social justice initiatives as well as providing both care and companionship to those in need, both at home and in developing nations. This relationship provides an opportunity for the Holy Trinity Catholic community to respond to the charitable needs of the whole community. Large charity drives are held at Thanksgiving, Advent and Lent. Walking the Path of Christian Service A Christian service day will be planned for grade 12 students. The Gospel challenges us to work toward a community and a world where justice prevails and where the dignity of every human being is safeguarded. Students will act as witnesses of the Gospel in the community with a day at Good Shepherd Refuge in Hamilton where they will participate in hands-on service, meeting the face of Jesus in those in need in the inner city. Office of Catholic Youth We will continue to support a working relationship with the Office of Catholic Youth of the Diocese of London. We work together to create a more inclusive and sacred environment for all students. The office has extended its support in all initiatives and is assisting us in our programs Feast Day of the Holy Trinity To celebrate and acknowledge the feast day of the Holy Trinity, an extended morning prayer will be offered. In response to our calling to active life in unity with the Trinity and with each other, the school will have an Acts of Kindness day where as individuals we are encouraged to intentionally and mindfully perform good works for others. Lent Unplugged Our Lenten observance will bring awareness to Lent as a time for spiritual centeredness in preparation for Easter. Holy Trinity Catholic High School experiences Lent Unplugged activities include ways in which we can use the three pillars of prayer, fasting and almsgiving refocus our interior lives towards God s call and encourage spiritual growth. This includes a Digital Fast Challenge day and Christian mediation offered to classes, and dress down day for Development and Peace. Chaplaincy Team Retreat Formation Program Students from grades 9 through 12 are invited to join the chaplaincy team. They are a group of students who see themselves as leaders and who commit to regular and active participation in leading the faith life of the school through involvement with chaplaincy activities such as Mass, liturgies, prayer, social justice and charity initiatives, and leading retreats. They will be offered a formation and community-building retreat to prepare them for their role as student Faith Leaders in the school

5 Grade Level Retreats All of our grade level retreat programs will be consistent with the life and mission of the Catholic Church, that is, we will focus on the liturgical and community expression of the Church in our retreat programs. Grade 9 In the Grade 9 Orientation Retreat we explore the specific focus on Belonging, Friendship and Discovering Self: Making the most of your high school years. Students identify and affirm God s gifts to us as individuals; reflecting on God s unconditional love for us; getting to know each other, building community and decision-making. At each retreat, senior students from the chaplaincy team participate as peer leaders. Their role is to be small group leaders and role models, to lead activities, to share some personal experiences and feelings relating to selfimage, belonging, and faith, and to help make the younger students feel welcome at the retreat and at our school. Grade 10 In grade 10, the theme is Healthy Relationships and Well-being. This retreat keynote is international speaker and author Beverly Hadland. The day includes smaller group sessions in which facilitators cover topics such as being your best self, positive self-image, goal-setting. Students discern how the reality of modern life plays a role in our effort to find sacred meaning in our lives. They examine the outside forces that influence our call to live the Gospel values asking the questions: How is Christ found in modern culture? How can we respond to Christ s values? Students will participate in activities, discussion and prayer, examining the world s view of values and priorities against our Catholic lens. Grade 11 In grade 11 the retreats focus on Pathway to Peace: Building Bridges Through Celebrating Religious Diversity, following a model that connects people through education and shared experiences to bridge differences and celebrate our society s religious diversity. In doing this we can discover the rich ways in which the same foundational truth of God s communication is found in the various religions. The Grade 11 classes visit the places of worship of other faiths, such as a Jewish Synagogue, a Hindu Temple, and an Islamic Mosque. Students will share their ideas about how their own faith development and how the Catholic experience can benefit from the multi-faith dialogue to enrich the spiritual movement of ecumenism. Grade 12 The grade 12 retreat focuses on the theme, Moving Forward: From Surviving to Thriving! Life after high school is a major change full of uncertainties - new environment, new friends and a different culture. This Retreat allows grade 12 students to examine perspectives of life that will enable them to confidently address the changes they will face. Students will have the opportunity to get in touch with the flow of life by reflecting on their past and to focus on their futures pondering their relationship with others, self, and God. Reflection is brought to bear on choosing options that will empower them to be pro-active on their life journey going forward with a personal vision and mission. The retreat is facilitated by Peter Buckley of the Diocese of London

6 Staff Faith Formation We will provide staff with faith formation activities during the year when possible. Invitations for opportunities for staff faith formation offered by our School Board and outside Catholic agencies will continue to be extended to our staff members. Student Council Chaplaincy Ambassador The Chaplaincy Ambassador appointed position on Student Council is an opportunity for students to represent the chaplaincy team at weekly student council meetings and to report on events, activities or requests involving the chaplaincy team. The student will be the main source of communication between the chaplaincy leader and student council. The student must have ongoing commitment to active participation on the student chaplaincy team. Chaplaincy Leadership Award The Chaplaincy Leadership Award is offered to graduating grade 12 students who have made a consistent and significant contribution to programs and activities through the chaplaincy office throughout their years at the school. These students exemplify the standards of a Catholic student through positive interaction in all aspects of the school community. Virtues in Sport Award The Virtues in Sport Award will be given to one male and one female athlete who demonstrate excellence in Christian competition and have made a significant contribution to our school s athletic program, both athletically and spiritually. Although statistics are important, demonstrated virtuous character is the most important criteria for this award. It is quite possible to not be the statistical leader of a team or sport, yet be the recipient of this award. These athletes consistently show Christian maturity in his or her relationship with Christ inside and outside of competition. These recipients exemplify the Catholic Virtues in sport. Leadership Development Our school chaplaincy team having been trained in ways that they can lead by example in our faith community, will take an active role as peer leaders in our school chaplaincy programs. These students also help shape the details of our many ongoing chaplaincy team initiatives. Students are invited as often as possible to serve as leaders in food and clothing drives, Eucharistic celebrations, liturgies, prayer services, retreats and other special events. Staff are encouraged to attend the annual When Faith Meets Pedagogy Conference in October. This is an opportunity both for adult faith formation and to share best practices with other Catholic educators around the province. Community Building/ Social Justice/ Community Outreach Throughout the school year, staff and students are invited and encouraged to participate and help lead any event organized through the Chaplaincy faith formation program. All departments can also assist in the planning and organizing of any chaplaincy initiative, social justice project, charity event or liturgical service. This provides an opportunity for both staff members and students to actively engage in the faith life of the school community

7 Pastoral Counseling and Spiritual Direction Pastoral counseling and spiritual direction is available to students and staff through the chaplaincy leader. Administrators and teachers actively refer students to this service. Students often refer themselves and other students to pastoral counseling. Pastoral counselling may include individual, crisis intervention, hospital visits, funeral home visits. The chaplaincy leader makes referrals to other support staff within and outside the school when appropriate. A crisis response team meets to discuss various strategies for at risk situations. Collaborative Leadership Teachers and administration play an active role in promoting Catholic activities and practice in the school. Our Pastoral Plan is to ensure that the whole community works with an eye to the common goal. Along with the pastor, Fr. David Butler, and staff of our home parish, St. Mary, we also thank Fr. Al Dufraimont for their guidance and generous use of their time and presence which helps us to create a sacramental life for our school community