 | To serve one’s brothers and sisters is part of what being a Christian means in today’s world. The Scriptures, Vatican II and Pope Benedict XVI all demand that in following Jesus, "we be at His side with the poor ... knowledge and individual talents and gifts are a call to service and responsibility to others." The Christian Service Program exposes students, through concrete experience, to the habit of loving as Jesus did. Service is an integral part of our curriculum.
The Christian Service Program requires each student to complete a minimum of 15 hours of service a year. All 15 hours must be of a one-to-one nature with “the elderly, the poor, the sick, the lonely, the disadvantaged, the rejected, the imprisoned, the abused or the handicapped.” Completion of half of the hours for freshmen, sophomores and juniors is due by the Winter Break; the remainder of the 15 hours is due by the end of April. Seniors fulfill their hours during the Senior Service Project just before Graduation, which encourages them to take a more active role in their community and faith.
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Many students and student organizations undertake campus-wide service projects. They include Christian Action Movement's Koins for Kids campaign, fundraisers for the natural disasters in Haiti and Japan and a yearly Christmas gift collection drive for a local elementary school. Current students and recent graduates have spread their spirit of Veritas to the local community in a multitude of ways, including participation in Habitat for Humanity's Shantytown program, gathering sponsorships for the Club21 walk to benefit children with Down's Syndrome, and creating a foundation through the Salvation Army to support troubled middle-school girls.
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| | Christian Service Coordinator | |