Catholic Identity
- Catholic Identity Narrative
- Student Religious Instruction
- Staff Spiritual Development
- High School Campus Ministry
What Makes a Catholic School Catholic? In addition to providing excellent academic programs to educate and prepare our students for higher learning, the hallmark of a Catholic school is its Catholic identity. It is the unique character that sets a Catholic school apart. The experience of faith is taught not only through the formal religious education classes, but through the experience of worshiping God and living that faith in every aspect of the school day. The symbols of the Catholic faith are clearly evident in Catholic schools and in every classroom. These are ever-present reminders to our students that God is part of all that we do. Beyond the visible sacramentals of our faith, worship and prayer are part of every school day. Students come to know the person of Jesus Christ by learning and living their faith in action through service. Faith formation is woven into the fabric of a Catholic education. Both students and staff participate in the celebration of the sacraments including regular attendance at the Eucharist and other liturgical celebrations to mark the seasons of the Church year. While the particular individual formats might vary, every school provides numerous opportunities for students to experience the richness of the Catholic faith through prayer. In the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Metuchen it is important that our teachers and staff be faith – filled people. Our teacher/catechists are called to be models of our faith and to help form our students in the information and formation of our faith. To that end, it is expected that our teachers annually attend at least twelve hours of spiritual development. Each year our teachers and staff set aside at least one full day for a retreat experience of their faith. To learn more about the offerings of a particular school, please visit their website for further information. Elementary schools participate in daily religion classes receiving information about our Catholic faith and formation in how to live this faith. As a rule of thumb, students receive 150 minutes of religious instruction per week. Policy 6011 As per Diocesan Policy #6011: “The annual school calendar shall include one hundred and eighty (180) instructional days. In addition, there are also five (5) staff days which include one (1) spirituality day and four (4) professional development days. We also include four (4) emergency days in our calendar count.” These annual spirituality days enable the faculty and staff of our Catholic schools to attend conferences, workshops and spiritual enrichment days to help them grow in their faith. The faith formation of all Catholic school teachers and administrators is an integral part of providing all students with a wholesome and integrated experience of their Catholic faith both in and out of the classroom. This helps maintain the Catholic identity of our schools and is key to what makes our Catholic schools unique. There are five Catholic High Schools in the Diocese of Metuchen which include 2 diocesan schools, 1 parochial high school and 2 private high schools. Each school has an active campus ministry program which provides the students with various opportunities to enrich and live their faith. Students participate and celebrate their faith at Mass, in prayer services, daily prayer in the classroom, and putting their faith into action through service projects which help the poor and others in need in the community. The Campus Ministry programs enable the students to integrate their faith in all aspects of their lives both in and out of the school environment. Campus Ministry is a vital component of the Catholic High School experience and helps the students learn values and provides ways for them to put them into action. Through Campus Ministry students live the words of Jesus, “Love one another as I have loved you.” What better way to involve students in the faith community of the school than to involve them in service to others? Campus Ministry identifies the needs of people in the community and around the world, makes students aware of those needs and then challenges them to help alleviate those needs. Campus Ministry enables students to affirm the dignity of all people by serving them as Christ would. This is such an important part of school life that two-thirds of our high schools have a full-time Campus Minister directing this mission. The other two schools have part-time campus ministry support. There are a wide variety of service projects completed each year in all schools in the diocese. The following are examples of some of those projects:
To find out more information about the vibrancy of the Campus Ministry Programs at our high schools, please check the website of the individual schools for more detailed information. |
