Welcome to the Christian Service Web Page! Why a web page for Christian
Service? We are a very active and exciting part of what Jesuit High
School is all about, and we think this is a good way to keep you informed of
issues and events happening in the area of social justice.
First . . . The History:
Service to others has been an integral part of Jesuit formation and education
since the Society of Jesus was founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola over 500 years
ago. In our time, the commitment to serve others was emphasized by Fr. Pedro
Arrupe, S.J., who said: "Today our prime educational objective must be
to form men and women for others; men and women who cannot even conceive of love
of God which does not include love for the least of their neighbors. The
education imparted in Jesuit schools must be equal to the demands of justice in
the world. What kind of people are needed in the world today? Men and women for
others."
Next . . . The Philosophy:
Jesuit High School’s "Statement of Philosophy" states: "The
spiritual dimension of the students’ development is fostered through their
incorporation into a community where catholic beliefs, morals and values,
inspired by faith in the Gospel and belief in the full brotherhood and
sisterhood of the human family, are taught, professed and experienced, and where
personal action is proposed as a response.
Finally . . . The Program:
Christian Service is required of all
students at Jesuit, and opportunities to reflect on the Christian dimension
of service are part of the curriculum at all four levels. The theme of Freshman
Christian Service is "Family." Students collect food on their overnight
retreat and for the Christmas Food Drive and continue by completing 16 hours
of service with and/or for their own families while enrolled in Global Studies.
The Sophomore theme is "Friends." Sophomores work with one another
to complete 16 hours of service while enrolled in Morality A. Juniors and
Seniors complete their service hours at sites in the Sacramento community that
serve people with "special needs." Juniors complete 16 hours of service
while enrolled in Social Justice, and Seniors take a one-semester course entitled
"Christian Service" which includes 50 hours of service in the community
and 10 hours of class time.
Additionally . . . Placement Sites . . .
Selection of Christian Service sites for upperclassmen is based on the
fundamental criterion that students have an opportunity to work directly with
people who have special needs. The objective is to place students in
agencies that:
a) allow for direct contact with those who are marginalized in our culture;
b) expose the root causes of marginalization;
c) work to counter the causes of marginalization;
d) enable them to reach out to others in Christian fellowship.
Students have a wide variety of choice
when it comes to selecting service placements. Sites include agencies that serve
the elderly, the poor and the homeless, the physically and developmentally challenged,
children of prison inmates, at-risk youth and pre-school aged children. Sophomores
can make lunches for children at the Mustardseed School for homeless children
at Loaves and Fishes, or cook and serve breakfast at Maryhouse or Wellspring
Center, both places for homeless women and children. Juniors can participate
in an overnight "Plunge" at Loaves and Fishes where they simulate
some of the experiences of homelessness. Summer school options for seniors
include service immersion trips to Mexico and Latin America and counselor positions
at camps for the handicapped.
. . . and Reflection:
At every level, but especially at the upper levels, reflection is seen
as an indispensable part of Christian Service. In Jesuit schools,
learning is expected to move beyond rote knowledge to the development of the
more complex learning skills of understanding, application, analysis, synthesis
and evaluation. Jesuit education insists that students consider the
significance of what they learn and to integrate that meaning into their lives.
Reflection helps students make connections between their personal
experience of service and the larger issues of social justice.
Fr. Ed Kinerk, the President of Rockhurst College, a Jesuit
college in Kansas City, Missouri, said it best: "It is easy to say that
we want to love God and do good. However, Ignatius would gently push us further
by asking what that sentiment means for us concretely. Love always
expresses itself in deeds. Jesuit education is practical because it is an
education for life, for a better life. Cooperative education, service learning
and an emphasis on giving back to the communities in which we live are essential
components of Jesuit education."
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