SERVICE:
All students and families are encouraged to serve our school, church, and community, as well as each other. In ECDC, students are called to serve their teacher and their peers through various assigned classroom duties. As students mature in age, their service matures as well.
In elementary grades, our students perform service through lunch room clean up duties, service during weekly liturgy and various service outreach projects within the community. In pre-COVID times, our fourth graders participated in monthly service projects with residents at St. Mary’s Woods nursing home. We hope to be able to resume this type of activity as healthy and safety measures permit.
In the IB Middle Years Programme, our students are required to perform 25 service hours per year. Students are provided numerous opportunities to participate in service to the church, community and their peers. Some students choose to serve in the capacity of cantor, cross bearer, altar server, bearer of the gifts (in non-COVID times), and lector at our weekly masses. In the past, our students assist the parish in service at various parish sanctioned activities including hospitality functions, parish picnics and numerous Knights of Columbus events.
In non-COVID times, we encourage our students to donate to the weekly mass collection. These funds are traditionally donated to a chosen charity of the month; however, this has been put on hold since weekly collections have been replaced with online giving as part of our COVID mitigation protocols.
Recent service campaigns centered on Catholic social teaching and created by our 8th grade students for school-wide engagement include sock collections for CARITAS, raising awareness and funds for the St. Francis Home and collecting urgently needed items for Commonwealth Catholic Charities Homeless Outreach Programs. Religious Arts projects in Middle School are collaborative experiences for students facilitated by our Middle School Religion teacher, Mrs. Slifka (above right in video), Visual Arts teacher Mrs. Dunham (above left in video) and Music teacher, Mrs. Moretti (not pictured).
LITURGY:
Students attend Mass weekly on Wednesday and Thursday mornings at 9:00 a.m. in St Mary Catholic Church. Liturgy is presided over by our priest, Father Michael Renninger. As time allows, Father Renninger also meets with students from a select grade for more in depth discussion.
PRAYER:
Saint Mary’s students begin their school day in prayer and pledge. In addition, we follow the diocesan curriculum guidelines for religious instruction. Our belief is that the family is the first source of faith in our students lives.
At school, we continue to encourage students to pray daily and to live in accordance with the teachings of our faith.
| Grade | Prayer/Precept |
| 1 | Sign of the Cross Lord’s Prayer Hail Mary Doxology Prayer to Guardian Angel |
| 2 | Grace before Meals Grace after Meals Act of Contrition Law of Love |
| 3 | Apostles’ Creed Confiteor Simple Act of Faith, Hope, and Love |
| 4 | Hail, Holy Queen Ten Commandments |
| 5 | Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary Seven Sacraments Precepts of the Church |
| 6 | Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary Memorare Prayer of St. Francis |
| 7 | Nicene Creed Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary Spiritual Works of Mercy Corporal Works of Mercy Holy Days of Obligation Gifts of the Holy Spirit Psalm 23 |
| 8 | Cardinal Virtues Capital Sins Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary Theological Virtues Principles of Catholic Social Teaching |
MONARCH OF THE MONTH- VIRTUES:
Daily, here at Saint Mary’s, we encourage our students to live in Christ’s likeness. Monthly, our faculty votes upon students from each grade who, through their actions and words, have most resembled the Christ through the virtues.
LIVING THE WORD:
- Sept. – Opening School Mass & Blessing of the Backpacks
- Oct. – 8th Grade Living Rosary celebrated with the Bishop & Blessing of the Pets
- Nov.- All Saints Parade
- Dec.- 7th Grade Nativity
- March – 4th Grade Stations of the Cross
- May – 8th Grade Crowning of Mary