We will celebrate 2 full-school liturgies per semester (repeated 4 times each) in the cafeteria – one Liturgy of the Word and one Mass.  All will be in grade-level groups.

Opening Liturgy of the Word – Chaplaincy Leader presides.  This is our first liturgy of the school year on Tuesday, September 25 and Wednesday, September 26, 2012. Music ministry led by Tara Nadal’s vocal music class with annual theme song “Joyful, Joyful”.

Advent Mass – Fr. Frank Portelli, Director of the Office of Catholic Youth will preside on Monday, December 10, 2012 periods 1 and 2 and Tuesday, December 11 periods 1 and 2 in our Cafeteria.

Ash Wednesday Liturgy of the Word – Chaplaincy Leader presides on Wednesday, February 13.  This liturgy will formally launch the school-wide Lenten mission project normally led by the Chaplaincy department.

Holy Thursday Stations of the Cross on March 28.  (This is not a liturgy but is an important prayerful assembly led by Rebecca Bromley’s drama students.)

Easter Mass – late April or early May (4 grade-level Masses) – priest presiders: T.B.A.

Graduation Liturgy of the Word – Students preside on Monday, June 24, 10:30 am in the Gyms.

The Chapel houses the Blessed Sacrament and is a Sacred Space in our building.  A lit red candle beside the tabernacle signifies the presence of Christ.  Individuals, classes and teams/clubs are encouraged to use the chapel for prayer, meditation or faith activities only.  The chapel doors are unlocked at all times to create a place of welcome to all staff and students.  At times, staff and students will be invited for morning prayer or meditation.  We follow the Archdiocesan Guidelines for School Chapels at all times.

School Prayer: a new prayer written by 2 recent graduates will become our official school prayer.  The prayer will be distributed on posters to each classroom in September.

Prayer and spiritual reflections are at the heart of our faith community.  We begin each day, each assembly and all special events with prayer.  We will pray with the intercession of our patron saint, Mary, through special attention to the rosary.  In addition, each homeroom classroom will display and use a seasonal prayer centre table with liturgical colours and in-class prayer (twice a week) during Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter.  Each teacher in every department will receive easy-to-use prayer resources such as “Take Ten” daily prayer book, The Catholic Youth Bible, weekly handouts prepared by Fr. Jim Roth, traditional Catholic prayers on laminated page, and more.  We follow the liturgical seasons and feast days in ways that engage our students.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be offered to students and staff in our chapel during Advent and Lent by visiting priests.  Advent: Thursday, Dec. 6 from noon to 2 pm with Fr. Jim Roth.

During one staff meeting, teachers will be in-serviced on “Catholicity, virtues, and gospel values” to enable all co-curricular teams, clubs, student activities, assemblies, trips, and events to be overtly faith-centred.  The aim is to help all aspects of our Notre Dame community be “distinct” in Catholic content, framework, mission, and language, and to help our students grow in faith outside the classroom.