Faith and Service are the bedrock of our school’s mission to educate lifelong learners who honor the teachings of Christ.

Campus Ministry is a vibrant component of this outreach.  We empower students to become leaders who embrace the challenges of the world around us with courage and compassion, striving to ensure the dignity of each person, and meeting the needs of their communities with hearts dedicated to service.

As a Catholic school, we get many questions about how Catholic identity manifests in and beyond our walls. Here are some commonly asked questions that might help you to get a deeper sense of what a rich spiritual life looks like for our students, staff, and families!
 

My family and I are not Catholic. Will my child be welcomed in the St. Bernard's community? 

All who are looking to develop morally, spiritually, intellectually, and socially are welcome at St. Bernard's High School. About half of our community are practicing Catholics; many others are practicants of other religions, and some are not religious. Our goal is to honor the teachings of Christ and the Church in our daily practices and, in particular, in how we "love one another."
 

How often do students and staff attend Mass? Do all students attend, even if they are not practicing Catholics?

St. Bernard's chaplains, Fr. Dolan (pastor of St. Bernard's at St. Camillus Parish) and Fr. Juan (pastor of St. Anthony's Parish), celebrate Mass with our students at minimum every month and on all holy days of obligation. All students and staff attend Masses, regardless of their religious identities. While Catholicism is vital to the lives of many in our community, we are just as eager to invite those for whom it may be unfamiliar to respectfully observe and celebrate with us. Students are required to respect the spiritual traditions of St. Bernard's, and joining in the celebration of Mass gives them an important, meaningful look into the values and traditions of the Catholic Church and community.

What other religious services or supports are in place for students?

In addition to Masses, students are invited to participate in several Catholic traditions offered at St. Bernard's.

Prayer services, confession, vocational assemblies, and access to pastoral counseling are made available to all students at STB throughout all four years of their high school career.

Students at each grade level participate in an off-campus religious retreat experience every year.  Each retreat reflects on a school-wide spiritual theme for the year and relates specifically to the transitional and developmental needs of each grade. Currently, each grade's religious retreat focuses on the following:

• Freshmen focus on the transition to high school and the ways they can develop spiritually and morally during these important four years.
• Sophomores focus on service to the broader community and begin to explore the ways they can contribute to the wellbeing of others.
• Juniors work to embrace and accept the challenge of authentic leadership in preparation for their Senior year of high school.
• And Seniors explore the ways they can bring their foundations at St. Bernard's into the world beyond, sharing their gifts and shining their light for others.

What does service look like at St. Bernard's? Are students required to participate in community service during high school?

Service is central to the Catholic identity and mission of St. Bernard's High School. We emphasize the role that caring for our social groups, for our planet, and for our human community play in living the true mission of Christ and help us to honor His calling. As such, students engage frequently in service projects both in the community and outside. 

While no service graduation requirement exists at St. Bernard's, all students are provided with ample opportunities to live out their faith and develop a sense of communal responsibility during their high school years. The following projects and opportunities recur annually at STB, encouraging students to support and "love one another:" 
 

• Campus Ministry operates as a vibrant student organization, committed to living out our Catholic mission. Students and staff participants help support the school's religious life, by serving at Masses as lectors and acolytes, or by helping coordinate and lead service projects.  
• Music Ministry is a talented group of teacher and student volunteers who provide music at all of our religious services.  
• Dynamic speakers frequent the building each year, talking to our students about ways they can live out their faith through acts. Revent speakers include Holocaust survivors, mission workers, and public servants (among others).    
• Our annual Thanksgiving Food Drive empowers students as leaders and givers to ensure that families in our region can share in food and fellowship at their holiday table.  
• As recurring sponsors of Haitian Outreach, our community routinely collects school supplies and monetary donations to support and support educational access for children in Haiti.   
• As part of the Pink Revolution, our students donate items for and then organize gift bags for breast cancer patients. Gift bags often include student-written letters of encouragement to support patients undergoing treatment.
•  As routine donors to our local Catholic Charities and Red Cross, students and staff collect and distribute hygiene products to support the health and wellness of our community members. In recent years, students have also opted to organize community-wide blood-drives to help replenish depleting supplies at our local blood banks.   
• During the Christmas and Easter holiday seasons, our community collects toys, clothing, and basket donations to help bring magic to the lives of underprivileged children in our region.

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