Dufferin-Peel CDSB - St. Marguerite d'Youville

School Prayer

Chaplaincy Services

Chaplaincy at d'Youville

Education is an exercise in trust that becomes an adventure of risk, love and service. A Catholic education, rooted in the sacramental life of the Church and in our sacred traditions and stories, is directed to the transformation of society based on the conviction that life is good, that we are all called to community in Christ, and that we must seek justice for all God’s children. Saint Marguerite d’Youville is our model in her absolute trust in Divine Providence as she faced challenges and triumphed over them in her life of loving service to the poor. We learn from her that we must strive:

To teach and learn that Catholic education is based on trust in God and God’s care for each of us.
To teach and learn that Catholic Education challenges everyone to risk living a Christian life in a very materialistic and secular society.
To teach and learn that the fundamental outcome of Catholic Education is love for all of God’s creation.
To teach and learn that we are called to lives of service in building up the Kingdom of God.

Catholic Education is a co-operative enterprise of pastors, administrators, pastoral workers, chaplains, and support staff with parents and teachers in the formation of our young people into the image of Christ. In furthering this pastoral work we have put into place this specific program for the 2008-2009 school year.

2008-2009 Year Plan

Theme for the Year: Choose Life!

Saint Marguerite d’Youville is a community full of energy and life. God is our creator and made us to live fully. Jesus came that we may have life in full and sent us his Spirit of life and love. This year we have chosen to celebrate this life and commit ourselves to choose life.

Taking care of our health leads to life. Taking care of the environment leads to life. Helping the less fortunate and learning to get along with each other leads to life. We believe life is a gift from the moment of conception and is meant to be lived fully. We will strive this year to choose life.

"See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. Choose life." (Deuteronomy 30:15-20)

Parish, School and Home

St. Marguerite d’Youville school is an extension of St. Marguerite d’Youville Parish. Many staff and students are active members of the parish and we have a student representative on the Parish Council. We believe that the relationship between the home, school and parish is essential for the spiritual growth of our students in our Catholic faith.

We are blessed to have two priests in the community who are very willing to be a presence in the school. The pastor, Fr. Peter Marr, participates actively in our liturgies and helps with the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Fr. Tobin, who was the chaplain of the school since its inception, is a regular visitor as he says the weekly mass in the school. This regular visit allows him to keep in touch with staff and students and to make himself available in many ways around the school. His presence, along with Fr. Marr’s, is always eagerly welcomed. We welcome this year the new associate pastor of St. Marguerite d'Youville Parish, Fr. Peter Tammearu.

This year the grade ten students will visit the church for their retreat, which will be an excellent opportunity to connect with the parish. The chaplain, Tony Whelan, will take the opportunity at these retreats to speak of the importance of connecting with a parish community and the centrality of the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Eliza Albano is the parish Youth Ministry Team Leader. She comes to our Spirit Council meetings and also to our monthly Chaplaincy Committee meetings. Another link with the parish is our staff Share Life representative, who will enhance our role as servant leaders in our Catholic faith.

The family is the first and most important place where the faith is taught and caught. Our students come to us with varying degrees of faith formation from their families. We work with the students, their families and the parish to build on the faith they have been taught at home.

St. Marguerite d’Youville was the Mother Theresa of her time, and the school community has been true to her spirit with a very active tradition of community outreach. This year’s plans include:

Finally, after five years of discussing the possibility of a stained glass window above the altar in our chapel, it will become a reality this year. Last spring we met with the artist, Dan Nolan, along with representation from the parish, school, parents and students to decide on a design for the large ocular above the altar. Father Vito Marziliano generously gave of his time to facilitate the process. The artwork is simply called Water.

Father Vito spoke of water as representing the word of God: “As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.” (Isaiah 55:10-11)

Water is a rich image which can have many meanings. Water represents life, and so fits nicely with our theme of this year, Choose Life.

We hope that the beautification of the chapel draws people to use the chapel as a place of prayer.

Prayer and Litergy

St. Marguerite d’Youville is a community that prays on a regular basis. We begin each day with prayer on the P.A. system, led by various staff and students. Through prayer we are reminded of God’s active presence in our lives. We make a conscious effort to make prayer relevant to our daily lives and according to the liturgical year. The TV’s in each class allow us to use visual images in our prayers as well. We usually do this once a week. Teachers have also been asked to begin each class with prayer and a book of prayers and reflections has been provided to each teacher.

Fr. Tobin comes to preside at mass every Wednesday morning at 7:20.

The chapel is a sacred space, a sanctuary of peace and quiet where staff and students can come for times of prayer and reflection. It is a blessing to have this sacred space and we will do everything in our power to model and encourage proper use of the chapel.

The school masses will take place on the first period on the following dates:

October 16: Feast of Saint Marguerite d’Youville
December 19: Sacrament of Reconciliation available to all students who sign up
December 2-5: Advent masses
February 25: Ash Wednesday
March 6: Sacrament of Reconciliation
April 9: Holy Week Stations of the Cross by senior drama class
April 21-24 : Easter Masses
June 2 - 5 : End of the year Masses

Catholicity Goal

The goal we chose to be our priority this year is Goal 6: We will identify and communicate initiatives of stewardship and social justice that meet individual, local and global needs, always being mindful of a Catholic perspective.”

A student group began in 2007 under the leadership of Ms. Vella and Ms. Arias called Justice League. We look for this group to flourish this year. Our school has a strong tradition of outreach to the needy in the Spirit of Saint Marguerite d’Youville, and this will continue with this year’s fundraising events. This group will aim to respond to the following challenge from James Mulligan put forward in his book, Catholic Education, Ensuring a Future:

“Education for justice and peace is given less emphasis than charity, and this is the case in most of our schools. They value and promote activities that give immediate attention to the poor, food drives and toy collections, for example. The harder questions that lead to an analysis of unjust structures are not frequently examined: Why are there refugees in our midst? Why does there continue to be an increase in the number of homeless people on our streets? Why, in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, do we bring in canned goods and collect toys?” (p. 173)

This work of attempting to address the root causes of poverty and injustice is the emphasis of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace. We will support Development and Peace through our walkathon as well as our fast this year. At both events we will not only raise money, but also challenge our students to become engaged in the work of long term systemic change.

The walk towards justice involves both feet of immediate relief (charity) and long term systemic change (justice). Justice league intends to ask the harder questions. We intend to ask Why and seek long term solutions rather than “band aid” short term solutions. We intend to inspire, educate and empower students to do the same. This is a task that is easily integrated into the curriculum of many of our subjects.

Social Justice

St. Marguerite d’Youville was the Mother Theresa of her time, and the school community has been true to her spirit with a very active tradition of community outreach. This year’s plans include:

All Year

Serving meals at St. Francis Table in Parkdale every second week after school from 3:00 to 7:30.

Justice League will highlight a different social justice message each month of the year.

First Semester

Walkathon on the Feast of Saint Marguerite d’Youville
October 16
Leadership class / Erin McPhee

Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October
Led by Student Council

Christmas Baskets
November 24 – Dec 16.
Deliveries December 17-18
Diana Speranza

Sandwiches to the Toronto Homeless
December 17
Diana Prior, Roy Parteno

Second Semester

Black History Month
February 2007 Ms. Gregori

25 Hour Fast
March 28 Ms. Thomas

Autism Awareness Week
April 13-17

Multiculatual Night
April 16 Lisa Zoffranieri

South Asian Month
May Brian Pinto

Right to Life, Birthright Collection
May 11-22 Patricia Sestini

Pro Life March in Ottawa
May 7-8 Michael freitas, Theresa Rocco

Walk Against Male Violence
May 15 Mr. Gumulka

Dominican Republic Trip

The chaplain and three teachers plan to take students to the Dominican Republic in 2010. During the course of this school year, the students who went in 2008 will present to grade 10 and 11 students and invite them to the experience. Kathy Spina and Robyn Harrower will lead this trip in 2010.

The goal of the trip is to attain a deeper understanding of the Christian concept of justice by:

Developing an awareness of the Third World through living with a family in Consuelo, Dominican Republic
Deepening our knowledge of First-Third World connections by examining economic, social and political structures through visits to Haitian sugar-cane bateyes, local schools, health clinics and barrios
Realizing that our mission to serve and unite begins with relationships and knowledge

The week long trip will be facilitated by Dean Riley, a Canadian who lives in the D.R. and facilitates these trips year round. Students who go will be asked to speak to classes to share their experience in the school and in the parish.

We continually strive to grow in awareness and to make social justice issues such as the right to life, preferential option for the poor, women’s rights, respect for life and the environment permeate all our words and actions at St. Marguerite d’Youville.

Peer Ministry

Spirit Council is a group of students who gather in the chapel every second Tuesday after school to help with Chaplaincy initiatives such as morning prayers, school liturgies, decorating bulletin boards and helping with the various fundraising activities listed on the previous page.

Peer Leadership Development

Salesian Retreats

Another Opportunity for student Catholic leadership development is the Salesian retreat experience. The chaplain will take three males and three females to attend Salesian Retreats with other schools in the board on November 29 – December 1 and February 21-23.

Grade 9 Retreat Leaders

There was a retreat August 27-28 with forty-seven grade eleven and twelve students who were trained to be Catholic leaders for the grade nine retreats. These students will also be called upon for other service in the school for activities such as writing reflections for the school’s morning prayer.

Retreat Program

Retreats are an excellent opportunity for young people to have an experience that can help them grow in faith and reflect on their lives. Retreats are mandatory for all students and are done with their religion class. This allows the religion teacher to prepare the students for the retreat and follow up after the retreat.

The grade nine retreats are done through home room to allow us to do them all in the first semester, allowing us to focus on orientation to High School life on this retreat.

The retreats for the year are as follows:

Gr 9 – at Mt. Alverno This retreat is led by the chaplain and senior students, through September, October and November. These retreats focus on orientation to high school life. Through preparing skits and discussion the students explore issues students of this age can expect to face. They are challenged to make the most of these formative years and to open their hearts to walk with God as they grow. This retreat is also a great way for the chaplain to connect with the new grade nine students and keep an eye for some who may feel alienated. The peer leaders are also asked to watch for lost souls and be a support for them.

Gr 10 – at St. Marguerite d’Youville Parish The chaplain leads the retreat in the church upstairs for the first forty five minutes. This is an excellent opportunity to connect to the local parish and to witness to the importance of Sunday mass. He then leads a few ice breakers in the basement. After a snack, Pam Highgate is introduced and leads the rest of the day on the theme of sexuality and relationships. Through presentations and various group activities, the students are led to a heightened awareness of the sacred gift of their sexuality and given practical tools for making responsible and informed choices in this area of their lives.

Gr 11 – Various places of worship. The grade eleven religion course is the study World Religions. The students visit various places of worship and will conclude with reflection and prayer reflecting on their own faith journey.

Gr 12 For the grade twelve retreat this year students will visit Our Place, a drop in centre for the homeless on Yonge Street. After some activities and lunch, students will walk along Queen Street distributing sandwiches to the homeless. We will conclude with reflection and prayer at Saint Paul’s Basilica.

P.I.P. Retreat This year’s retreat for the students in the Planning for Independence Program will take place at the Daybreak L’Arche community in Richmond Hill. We will be attending this retreat with the P.I.P. students of Ascension High School.

Staff Faith Development

We started our year together on August 29th with a retreat morning for our staff. A talk was given by Father Eugene O’Reiley, followed by mass and lunch.

Our Faith ambassadors this year are Diana Speranza and Josef Constantino. The faith Ambassador program organized at the board level offers many adult faith activities. We will promote these activities as they arise and have others on our own. On September 12th we had Lorne Howcroft speak to the staff on social justice in order to highlight our Catholicity goal for the year.

A sizable group of teachers gather every Wednesday morning for mass, which is a beautiful way to start the day rooted in Christ and Christian community.

One of the best ways to learn something is to teach it. Teachers are called as teachers in the Catholic system to teach the Catholic Curriculum. Sandy O’Donnell leads the Catholicity Committee, which meets monthly and aims to help teachers in the various subject areas develop Catholic curriculum.

Following are some reflections by various staff members on ways they see themselves contributing to the mission of Catholic Education:

Catholic Education Across the Curriculum

Student Services: All members of the student services department try to be a light that shines every day for d’Youville students. We are there to greet students in the halls every morning to reflect on God’s word in communion with them. We minister to students and their families in a variety of ways: academically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually, especially students new to the country and new to the d’Youville community. Through counseling, help and advice, students are taught to accept responsibility and accountability for their actions in a loving, compassionate and respectful manner. We recognize the uniqueness of each student: their wants, needs and contributions. Every single student is made to feel important and part of the d’Youville family.

Social Science: Religion has always played a dominant role in the study of social science. As teachers of social science we have a unique position and responsibility in helping to develop the true and perfect Christian. As Catholic educators we accept the responsibility to influence in a positive manner student interaction with people, politicians, police and the courts in a democratic society. While we acknowledge the separation of state and Church in civic life, as Catholics we look to Jesus Christ as our model and master teacher of behavior and judgment. Through the disciplines of History, Law, Civics, Geography and Family Studies, we model for the students the positive role they play in living out God’s plan for creation.

English department: Our efforts in Catholic education are best summed up by the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectation 2e: We strive to develop an effective communicator who “uses and integrates the Catholic faith tradition in the critical analysis of the arts, media, technology and information systems to enhance the quality of life.”

Arts and Technology: Each class begins with a scripture reading and prayer from A Teens Daily Prayer Book. Prayer is never forced. At times I read it myself, and at times we just pause for a few minutes of silence. It is important for me to lead by example, to demonstrate sensitivity and generosity in the way I teach and interact with the students. It is said that Jesus taught with authority. Parker J. Palmer, in Courage To Teach, says that “Authority is granted to people who are perceived as authoring their own words, their own actions, their own lives, rather than playing a scripted role at great remove from their own hearts.” (p. 33) We reach the students when we have the courage to teach from the heart, to be ourselves before the students, to be human, and to be open with our thoughts and emotions.

Marg Fox, Attendance secretary: First, it is a great privilege to be able to go on the P.A. and also on video to reach the students with the gospel message when I lead morning reflections. I feel that all of the reflections are a way for students to digest what has been said and make comments and ask questions. It's meant to trigger an interest in all things spiritual. There is nothing greater than to plant a seed and watch it grow. Planting the seed of Christ’s love to reach our young people is a gift not to be taken lightly. Our actions must always portray the Christian walk ... we will never be perfect, but to strive to be "Christ like" is the goal.

Secondly, I see my "ministry" here as very subtle. Interaction with students is mainly through conversations at the Attendance window and also after school when they just need a listening ear. I have had students come and ask for prayer. We are all responsible for the spiritual growth of the students, whether we are a teacher or support staff. We are to be an example.

Science: Issues that involve Catholic Church teaching come up regularly in the teaching of science: stem cell research, theories of evolution, origins of the universe and reproductive technologies, just to name a few. In passing on Catholic Church teaching we hope to help students “make decisions in light of gospel values with an informed moral conscience.” (OCSGE 3d) and increase their appreciation of all aspects of God's universe. Respect for the sacredness and wonder of human life and for all life forms permeates our teaching. The themes of stewardship and sound moral decision making have been woven into the fabric of each science course. (Catholic Course Profile)

ARD/PIP/ASD: As a department committed to the academic and social formation of special needs students, we firmly extol, first and foremost, our students’ participation in and intrinsic value to the building of the community at St. Marguerite d’Youville Secondary School. We envision this department as one of “many parts”, working towards the inclusion of each of its members and every one of its students in the goal of building a strong, cooperative and faith-filled community. We recognize that students with intellectual/physical challenges can often be among the most oppressed and excluded group of people in a community. Yet, we also recognize every individual’s need and right to be in relationship with others and feel included and valued. Towards this end we strive, as a department, to model and implement teaching practices, programs and philosophies that will promote our students becoming involved with others and being given the opportunity to develop their unique gifts and talents. We feel that in doing so, our students will become part of a school community where “heartfelt” relationships are constantly developed, where individuals feel free to reveal both their gifts as well as their needs, their strengths as well as their weaknesses and will continue to be valued and accepted. We will strive daily to become one of many departments, opening ourselves and those around us, to “the universe, to the love of all humanity and, especially, to the source of all life and love, to a meeting with God.” (from Becoming Human, Jean Vanier)

The Religion Department teaches the gospel message of Christ directly through the content of the course. Teachers try to assist the students in answering questions they have in light of Gospel values and Catholic teaching. In addition to learning about Gospel values and the Catholic tradition, students learn to respect other faiths through the grade eleven World Religions course. They are also given the opportunity to expand their thinking in the grade twelve Ethics and Philosophy class. Besides teaching the curriculum, teachers also help students discern and apply the concepts taught directly to their lives. Students also expand their knowledge of the Catholic faith through annual religion retreats, each with a focus on a particular area of religious education. Staff attempt to model gospel values, and share relevant experiences with the students. Students also reflect and share their personal insights and stories from their own lives. This often leads to opportunities to listen to students individually and to give counseling and support.

Math: In the math department at d’Youville, we recognize that math is a subject that can be very difficult for some students. As a result, we know that many students struggle to do well in this subject. With this in mind, during class we encourage our students to work together to help each other to understand the work and to do well in the class. We remind students that if there is a topic that they understand well, that their understanding can be deepened if they can explain that topic to another student who may be struggling with the concept. Each math class at d’Youville functions as a team where the students are encouraged to work together to learn. As well, math students have the opportunity to attend math tutorial sections after school twice a week where they can meet and get help from different teachers in the math department and from volunteering Gr. 12 students. In turn, students can see that at d’Youville learning about and understanding math is a team effort.

Physical Education: The leaders of this department encourage students to make healthy lifestyle choices and encourage their fellow classmates regardless of their athletic talent. We ask students to show sportsmanship and try their best even if they are not familiar with the activity at hand. We allow students the opportunity to use their talents to the fullest of their ability and demonstrate teamwork in group activities. We promote student participation in athletics because we believe it will increase their self esteem, help the students make new friends and learn the discipline and dedication it takes to be successful in life. All of the above mentioned ideas, values and morals parallel the teaching of the Catholic Church and what is special and unique about Catholic education.

Administration: When Cardinal Ambrozic was asked the question “What is the purpose of Catholic education?” he responded: “The purpose of Catholic education is that young people might fall in love with Jesus”. For twenty years as an educator in Dufferin-Peel it has been my purpose to “lift up Jesus so that He can draw all men and women to himself”. (John 12:32) By the grace of God, through word and action, juggling justice and mercy, affirming and disciplining, I point the staff and students to Jesus, that they might fall in love with Him and trust Him as Saviour and Lord.

Pastoral Care of Staff and Students

Pastoral care is a major part of what Chaplaincy services are all about. A pastor is one who watches over attentively with a readiness to respond to needs as they arise. We have a social worker, psychologist and child and youth worker, who have pastoral care as an emphasis in their work. All staff is involved in pastoral care in as much as they are attentive to others and caring in their interactions.

We are all called to be like Christ in his attention to people first. A Christ-like, non-judgmental attitude and listening heart are the keys to this ministry of presence.

Times of loss will often be a time when a student or staff member will appreciate a caring presence. Again, we are all called to be present in a sensitive way at times of loss. Visiting the funeral home and attending the funeral of a loved one can mean a lot to the bereaved. Grief counseling will be offered as needed.

In the event of the death of a member of the immediate community, the chapel will be made available for those who wish to come together for prayer and support. Various communal prayers would be led at this time as well as leaving time for small group prayer and support. The principal will call the Tragic Events Response Team for assistance, and we may choose to look for support from other chaplains in the area. We would also work with the parish priests and all guidance services in the school. The school would offer to help with funeral arrangements and do all in our power to help the grieving family and honor the deceased (a book of thoughts and prayers from students, memorial plaque in the school …)

The chaplain lets it be known on a regular basis on retreats and other occasions that the door is open any time a student feels the need to talk. We also recognize that students and staff naturally watch out for and care for each other in many ways in our daily interactions.

School Atmosphere

It has been said that faith is more caught than taught. If lived faith is our goal, a major element of this is creating an atmosphere of respect and love in the school. This encompasses student teacher interaction in the class as well as an overall atmosphere in the hallways. A strong foundation of respect and discipline has been laid by the staff of St. Marguerite d’Youville and we recognize that it takes a team effort to continue this tradition. We also have a very enthusiastic and generous staff who are willing to lead the great variety of fundraisers and various activities outlined in this pastoral plan.

Conclusion

In the end, we recognize that we are all journeying together as we strive to grow in our knowledge of God and support one another through our challenges and difficulties. We recognize that we strive together with the family and parish in our mission. We recognize that faith is a gift and that God is at work in our world and in our hearts. Because we have known God’s consistent and faithful love in our lives, we are ready…

To Trust, To Risk, To Love, To Serve