Spirituality at Xavier High School
February 17, 2010
Xavier is an incredible school in many aspects. The academics, the activities, the athletics... we're at or near the top in pretty much everything. But every school has at least one thing that they're good at, and quite a few of them are similar to us, and excel at a wide variety. Xavier is set apart, though, by the one thing that brought us all together in the first place – our faith.
Spiritual life at Xavier thrives based on student leadership, integration within the school day and all-around emphasis placed on it by the faculty and staff. Mrs. Satterlee and Mrs. May, the leaders of Campus Ministry, allow many activities to be headed by students, such as Liturgy Committee and many retreats. I participated as a singer at the Catholic Schools Week Mass, which was a great experience for not only Xavier students, but Regis, LaSalle, and St. Joseph students as well.
Faith doesn't just happen when we have all-school Masses. Each day is started off with a prayer over the intercom, written and read by a different faculty member each week. Most classes begin with prayer as well. Mrs. Dircks, Dr. Drey, Mr. Goldsmith, and Mrs. Flores in particular emphasize student involvement in classroom prayer. All-school Masses are a great way for us to celebrate our faith together, and always happen in the middle of the day. The administration is willing to pull us out of the classroom for Mass! That alone shows the importance that is placed on spirituality. The varsity football team will pray the rosary in the chapel before every game, home or away, and I know we aren't the only ones. I still keep the thumb rosary that Coach Sullivan gave us on my key ring. It is wonderful to be in an environment that encourages development of my faith at every turn.
My current theology class is Why Am I Catholic?, taught by Dr. Drey and Mr. Goldsmith. Each week of prayer consists of one reading from the upcoming Sunday Mass per day, with two days left for a student-led prayer. Currently, we're studying how to best defend the doctrine of papal infallibility, and what that really means. It doesn't mean the pope is always right... it just means that the Holy Spirit prevents him from proclaiming a doctrine that is wrong. If he doesn't “know the answer”, he will remain silent. That was the biggest misconception I had with that doctrine before this class.
The best faith experience that I've had at Xavier was going on a Kairos retreat last year. Kairos has grown into a major faith retreat for juniors. It is now held at a retreat center in Cedar Falls. The fourth Kairos from Xavier (or K-4) just returned at the beginning of February and it was great to see them rejuvenated in their faith. My new friends from K-2 (my retreat) and all of the other Kairoses were one of the greatest blessings to come out of it. If you know any upcoming juniors, please highly encourage them to attend! It is a life changing experience.
While I could get many similar experiences to Xavier at public schools in the area, one thing I could not replicate is the spirituality. Xavier's faith environment allows me to grow and learn, surrounded by people who are willing to help me on not only my academic journey, but my faith journey as well. Xavier truly does work to develop the total person in a Catholic environment.
Want more? Read Spencer's past entries:
- Meet Xavier Senior, Spencer Hughes!
- A Day In the Life of Spencer Hughes (X10)!
- Extra-Curricular Activities Make Xavier a Stand-Out!
- Embracing Technology
- A Video Presentation by Spencer Hughes
- You Can't Have a Great School Without a Great Faculty
- What Makes Xavier...Xavier?
- Visioning
- Prom - Asking a Date Requires Creativity!
- Xavier High School, Pancheros, and Life Lessons
What does my Alumni Appeal gift support?
Because tuition only covers a portion of the cost to educate a student, funds raised from the Alumni Appeal help bridge that gap by supporting the operating needs and funding special projects at Xavier High School. In addition, the phonathon helps update alumni records and provides an opportunity for alumni to catch up with one another.
How do I make a gift?
You can make a gift to the Alumni Appeal in one of three easy ways:
1. Donate online! Click here to make your donation through our secure, online donation website.
2. Donate through "Causes" on Facebook - and encourage your friends to do the same! Cause: LaSalle, Regis, Xavier, High School Alumni Appeal
3. Mail your gift to the Xavier Foundation at P.O. Box 10956, Cedar Rapids, IA 52410-0956
4. Call your gift in (using a credit card) to (319) 378-4571.
Why should I use "Causes" to make my gift?
By using the Causes feature on Facebook, you not only support Xavier High School and current students, like Spencer, but you can also let your friends know that the continued success of Catholic secondary education - namely - Xavier High School is important to you, and encourage them to show their support of Xavier as well.
