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Faith growing opportunities at Catholic schools

By MICHELLE DELANEY, Globe staff reporter
(Email Michelle)

What does Mass, volunteer opportunities, athletics, faith and family all have in common? They all are offered to the students at Catholic schools.

There are countless opportunities given to students at Catholic schools to grow in their faith through not only education but service projects as well.

“I really like going to a Catholic school because we get the privilege to learn about God and we don’t have to hide our relationship with him,” said Taylor Ferguson. “We get to express our emotions with him and learn about God, it’s a privilege.”

Ferguson is an eighth grade student at Mater Dei School in Sioux City. She is involved with basketball, volleyball, soccer, track, LIF team and her parish youth group.

LIF team stands for living instruments of faith. In this group students are given the opportunity to band together and do service projects while learning and living through their faith.

“The feeling of helping people makes me feel like a better person and knowing that somebody can benefit from something that we did is amazing,” said Ferguson.

As an eighth grader, Ferguson has already volunteered her time and efforts to travel to Smithville, Miss. to do a mission trip. During Thanksgiving time, she even volunteered to help deliver Thanksgiving meals to needy families. This event has been her favorite volunteer activity so far because she was able to witness the looks of gratitude from the families.

“They encourage us to go out to our community to do what they’ve taught us here in school, to do what Jesus did. I just think it’s really cool,” said Ferguson.

She is not only active in her school, but her church as well. She is a member of her youth group and plans on becoming a Eucharistic Minister when she gets older.

Since she is graduating from Mater Dei School at the end of the year, Ferguson has decided to continue her Catholic education by going to Bishop Heelan High School next year.

Another example of students who are active in their school and faith are seniors Paris Schnepf and Andrew Hunt from Spalding Catholic School in Granville.

“Catholic schools give you that faith aspect that you don’t get in other schools. You don’t have to be private about your faith when you’re at school. Everyone has the same faith so you can share it with everybody,” said Hunt.

Both students are involved in the school’s Christian Leadership Team. Schnepf notes that being active in the team pushes them to take the initiative to take on a service project and make it their own. They get to be hands on and have a say in the planning process and execution of the service projects.

One recent example of how the students at Spalding come together to help the needy is through fundraising. Right now, the Christian leadership team is planning a pink out night for a woman, recently diagnosed with breast cancer. This fundraiser, which is happening on Jan. 31, has sold over 364 t-shirts.

As students at Spalding Catholic, they get the opportunity to plan reconciliation services, special prayer services and many more faith-filled events. This year they have already had a prayer service commemorating the 10th anniversary of 9-11, a Thanksgiving prayer service and an Advent candle lighting service. They have also put together an anointing Mass liturgy where over 500 parishioners and guest attended.

“I think being surrounded by it (religion) every day helps strengthen our faith,” said Schnepf. “It’s not just once a week we go to Mass, every day you say a prayer before school starts and you say a prayer before almost every class you go into. You completely immerse yourself in the Christian atmosphere, which is awesome.”