Prayer and Liturgical Celebrations

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.

Thanksgiving Liturgy of the Word – Chaplain presides.  This is our first liturgy of the school year on Tuesday, October 5 and Wednesday, October 6.

Advent Mass – Tuesday, November 30 and Wednesday, December 1 – priest presiders T.B.A.

Ash Wednesday Liturgy of the Word – Chaplain presides on Wednesday, March 9.  This liturgy will formally launch the school-wide Lenten mission project normally led by the World Issues Group and Chaplain.

Holy Thursday Stations of the Cross on April 21.  (This is not a liturgy but is an important prayerful assembly led by drama students.)

Easter Mass – Tuesday, May 3 and Wednesday, May 4 – priest presiders: T.B.A.

Graduation Liturgy of the Word – Students preside on Monday, June 27, 10:30 am in the Gyms. (date may be changed due to prom/commencement scheduling conflict)

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.  The chapel doors are unlocked at all times to create a place of welcome to all staff and students.

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 have and use a seasonal prayer centre table with liturgical colours and in-class prayer (twice a week) during Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter.  Paul Griffin’s construction technology students will build special prayer tables for each classroom.  The gyms will be equipped with a new visual faith focus, and portable/rolling prayer table for use by Phys Ed teachers.  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, and more.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be offered in our chapel during Advent and Lent.

In the early fall, all staff members will be in-serviced on “Catholicity, virtues, and gospel values” in the context of enabling all co-curricular teams, clubs, student activities, assemblies, trips, and events to be overtly Christ-centred.  The aim is to help all of our Notre Dame clubs, teams, trips, events and other co-curriculars to be “distinct” in Catholic content, framework, mission, and language, and to help our students grow in faith outside the classroom.