Faith and Service
The Campus Ministry Office promotes the spiritual development of the students and their families, faculty and staff at MDCHS. Campus Ministry aims to provide opportunities for all members of the Mater Dei Catholic High School Family to join in common efforts to provide for the needs of all people served by MDCHS. The goals of Campus Ministry are accomplished through activities such as Liturgical Celebrations, Annual Retreats and Christian Service Programs.
The Chaplains of Mater Dei Catholic High School, who are priests of the Miles Christi Religious Order, offer regular spiritual direction meetings to all students who desire it. In those meetings, the students can bring up their spiritual or faith related questions to the spiritual director and find answers inspired by the principles of the Gospel and faithful to Catholic spiritual and moral doctrine.
Mater Dei students are required to actively serve their community by giving of their time and talents. All service must be completed through a non-profit organization; students may not receive monetary compensation for their service; and their work must not generate profit for the organization.
The expectation is for students to complete 25 hours of service each year to meet the 100-hour graduation requirement. These requirements will be monitored through the students’ Theology classes. Students are required to submit documentation verifying the completion of their service during their second semester. In addition, students are required to write a service paper. This will account for 15% of the student’s second semester Theology grade. The submission date for documentation, verification and service paper is in the beginning of May each year.
- All off-campus service must be verified on official organization letterhead.
Retreats
Mater Dei Catholic believes that retreats are an important part of the religious education of our students. The following describe each class retreat.
FRESHMEN: The purpose of this retreat is to integrate the new members of the Mater Dei family into the school community and faith life. It also introduces the students to spiritual opportunities at Mater Dei and builds class unity. The retreat is a one-day on-campus mandatory event during the school day.
SOPHOMORE: This retreat helps students to understand their own dignity and worth and how they can only be truly fulfilled by loving and serving others. The retreat is separated over two days: one for boys and one for girls. It is on-campus and mandatory during the school day.
JUNIOR: On this retreat, students experience God in a profound way through confession and adoration, and many of them experience a deep conversion experience. There are two overnight, off-campus retreats at Whispering Winds Catholic Camp in Julian. The retreat is optional and a transportation fee will be charged. Students must also have signed permission slips and petition the school to attend the retreat. Forms are available a few weeks before the retreats.
SENIOR: The senior retreat occurs in the spring at Whispering Winds Catholic Camp and is an overnight retreat. The purpose is to help the students deepen their relationship with God so as to have a firm foundation upon leaving Mater Dei. The retreat is optional and a transportation fee will be charged. Students must have signed permission slips and petition the school to attend. Forms are available a few weeks before the retreats.
Parents in Prayer : Every Thursday at 7:45AM in Marian Chapel
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Parents in Prayer is a group of Mater Dei parents who meet once a week on Thursdays during the school year to say the Rosary for our children, our families, our friends, those in our community in need of our prayers, and our faculty and staff at Mater Dei. Every Mater Dei parent is welcome. Rosaries and prayer sheets are provided. Please park in the visitor parking of the main parking lot. We ask that you check in with the front office before you go back to the chapel. If you have any intentions for the rosary, there is a prayer book in the main office. For more information, please contact: Sister Luz Jimenez at ljimenez@materdeicatholic.org |