Campus Ministry

Campus Ministry at Notre Dame Jr/Sr High School 

Mission statement

With Jesus as our role model, we strive to improve the quality of life. We reach out with a loving heart to serve our community by responding to their needs through prayer and good works.

In addition to our student's intellectual growth, our mission emphasizes the spiritual formation of our students. As a catholic school, Notre Dame seeks to follow the vision of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. We are empowering our students to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today. Drawing young people into responsible participation in the life, mission, and works of the catholic church. 

Some important elements of living our catholic faith are:

  • A lay campus minister to plan service, prayer, and retreats. Office located next to the chapel.
  • Daily morning prayer and the angelus at noon.
  • A faculty committed both to student's spiritual growth and their own.
  • Monthly Christian art and imagery throughout the classrooms and buildings.

Campus Ministry is divided into 5 categories involving over 80 students. We strive to teach and honor the corporal works of mercy and the virtues Jesus taught us.

Pro-Life

Pro-life: focuses on the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death. Our very active pro-life leadership team generates ideas for pro-life awareness within our school, dealing with many facets of our mission based on the sisters of life curriculum from the diocese of Washington dc. And community service to pro-life groups in our local area. Our pro-life baby shower(care-net, Evelyn's House) Adoption tea party and Rosary for Life are some of the many activities we do throughout the school year.

Faith Formation

  • A student liturgy committee plans several school-wide liturgies throughout the year. The entire student body, faculty, and staff participate in liturgies at thanksgiving, Christmas, Lent, Easter and Ascension Thursday. Confessions monthly in the chapel with a visiting priest.
  • The living rosary is said in the chapel twice a week with a prayer petition box located near the altar.
  • The living stations of the cross are held on Fridays in lent at various catholic churches throughout the area.
  • Projects including clothing drives, Christmas cards to our elderly in nursing homes and veterans are part of faith formation.
  • We partner with St. Jude hospital in helping raise money for their cause.
  • We also work with St. Elizabeth cardiac unit making heart pillows for their patients who recently had surgery.
  • We organize retreats for each grade level to help our students grow spiritually in a christ-centered environment.

Food Pantry

Our food pantry is where our students bring canned goods, coffee, pasta, sauce, breakfast cereals, protein snacks etc. We service our Notre Dame families first then reach out to the rescue missions of Utica and Rome. We work with other organizations, including the American Red Cross, hope house, Utica food pantry, and Mother Marianne Kitchen, to assist their needs. 

Fundraising

Bake sales, car washes, and bottle and can drives are events to help raise money for worthy causes in our community.

Campus Ministry Housekeeping

Part of the community service hours for campus ministry is keeping our chapel neat and clean. They are also responsible for decorating at Christmas, during the school year, and placing fixtures and posters during the Lenten and Easter season.

Campus ministry is open to all 6 to 12th graders.