Living, Serving, and Praying Generously

One June morning this past summer, some fellow classmates and I were brainstorming to create a theme for Campus Ministry that would successfully encompass the entire school year. Every year, Campus Ministry aims to introduce a theme to include all aspects of the council. During this meeting, our goal was to formulate a couple words worthy of singleheartedly capturing the service, worship, and retreat opportunities Campus Ministry offers.

Simply, we just decided to put it altogether. The 2017-2018 DSHA Campus Ministry theme, “Living, Serving, and Praying Generously,” truly embodies the whole mission, essence, and spirit of DSHA Campus Ministry. With this theme, our goal for the year is to focus on increasing dedication to attending meetings, strengthening commitment to our faith, representing CMC well, and being a positive presence for the school community.

After first introducing it at our annual Campus Ministry Leaders’ Retreat, we have been able to incorporate this theme in many different instances so far in the year.

To respond to the effects of Hurricane Harvey while living generously, the DSHA community helped to raise almost $2,500 for the Christo Rey Jesuit High School in Houston, TX. Not only were we financially generous, we wrote prayers and encouraging notes for the students and their families.

Additionally, to serve more generously, Campus Ministry introduced a new approach for signing up for reoccurring service this year to promote the importance of ongoing service at one site. Reoccurring service truly highlights what it means to serve generously because are able to form more genuine relationships with the people we are working with and establish connections. In conjunction with our theme, we are proud to announce that we have an increase in girls dedicated to ongoing service than previous years.

Finally, to pray more generously, Campus Ministry continues to offer reflective and worship opportunities throughout the year like weekly Reconciliation, Faith Friday masses, Adoration, weekly rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and monthly events with the Salvatorian Sisters of the Divine Savior.

Looking forward to our annual Advent Project, we will be working with the local Make-A-Wish foundation in the efforts to build on our theme. Currently, Campus Ministry is planning an assembly, a giving tree, the Immaculate Conception Mass, all-school optional Reconciliation, and the Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass. In regards to our worldly Lent project, we are hoping to use our theme and support fighting hunger initiatives around the world.

We hope that this year’s theme allows students and TSC members to actively connect prayer and service in their everyday life. This theme serves as a reminder to enhance little things in our life more generously to result in a greater development and exploration of faith.