Night of Adoration, Praise & Worship
Marianist LIFE (Living in Fath Experience) is hosting another Night of Adoration, Praise & Worship on Wednesday, May 1st. Fr. Mark Ott VM'91 will be our celebrant and MarySarah Menkhaus from Damascus Worship will be our musician. The evening begins at 6:30 pm at St. Vincent de Paul Church. Adoration with Benediction will go until 7:45, and then we will head over to the STVM Student Center for some snacks and fellowship. The last time we held this event, it was an incredible experience, so we truly hope even more students and families will join us this time!
May 1 - May Crownings
Students will celebrate small May Crowning ceremonies in their Theology classes on May 1 as we kick off the month of honoring and celebrating our Blessed Mother Mary.
Service Update - Service Hours Due!
Senior service hours were already due in April, and hours for freshman, sophomores, and juniors are due no later than May 1st.
A few reminders on logging these hours:
- This account was emailed to them in August and was discussed with them in Theology by Mr. Larlham.
- Students need to claim their account and log their hours.
As a reminder, every student needs 25 hours per year, and they need to complete at least 15 of those hours outside of STVM. They are only able to long 10 hours (even if they do more) for STVM.
Senior Farewell and Baccalaureate Masses
Fr. Jeremy Merzweiler from St. Francis de Sales Parish will be our celebrant for this Mass. Parents of senior are invited to attend this special Mass, and we would love for you to join us! Please note that a few speeches will follow the close of this Mass, so please allow extra time in your schedule.
Baccalaureate Mass: Monday, May 20 at 6pm at St. Hilary Catholic Church.
Fr. G. David Bline, Spiritual Director for St. Mary's Seminary, will be our celebrant. Please see email notes about attendance and attire for our seniors. The Mass begins promptly at 6pm.
Pray in May with Hallow App
With May being both the Month of Mary and Mental Health Awareness Month, we invite our students and families to join in praying on Hallow. There is a Teen Mental Health section that will be available in the app on May 1. This Mental Health section is geared toward middle and high school students. It is ideal for helping alleviate end-of-the-school-year fatigue, stress, and anxiety you might be feeling. This is a wonderful opportunity to lean into prayer and scripture and call upon God to handle the heavy lifting. Perfect for learning more about Mary, the rosary, and her role in the Church. You can access Hallow's 'praylist' collection and listen to Marian songs, pray a variety of Marian prayers, and listen to some amazing podcasts from our Saints Alive collection.
If you need help with downloading or logging in with your STVM email, please stop by and visit Mrs. Goshe.
Continued Prayer Opportunities at STVM
Last First Friday Mass of the Year will be this Friday, May 3rd at 7:15am in our Chapel. Fr. Cameron Popick from St. Hilary will be our celebrant! We will celebrate with donuts following! Please come and receive Jesus with us.
We will be in continuing with our Wednesday after school Five Minute Prayer in the LRC for students and staff! Truly the best 5 minutes of our day!!
Please don't forget to come to pray the Rosary on Friday mornings, other than First Fridays, in our chapel at 7:25am.
Small Faith Sharing Group Grant Awarded to STVM Campus Ministry
STVM Campus Ministry is thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a Religious Education Award Grant from the Office of Catholic Education in the Diocese of Cleveland. The grant award will go toward continuing to build small faith sharing groups as part of our Sodality Ministry. We had one pilot group going this year, with a faith-filled Catholic mentor working with a small group of young men, who met each week to pray and share their faith experiences. The goal is to use the grant money for up-to-date resources, training new mentors, and fellowship gatherings. If you know a student who might be interested in being a part of this Sodality Small Faith Sharing Group ministry, please reach out to Mrs. Goshe. If you know of any young adult Catholics in the area who are striving to grow in their faith and who might be willing to be a mentor for this program, please also reach out to Mrs. Goshe.
Other Faith Experiences and Service Opportunities
Marian Procession, Rosary and May Crowning - May 5th there will be a Procession, Rosary and May Crowing. Meet at Our Lady of the Elms at 12:30pm, process to St. Sebastian while praying the rosary. There will be a May Crowing at 1:15pm of their Garden Mary statue.
Franciscan University of Steubenville Youth Conferences - Many parishes send students to these incredible youth conferences that are transformative. Check out your parish bulletin (and other parishes bulletins) to see if they are attending.
Damascus Catholic Youth Summer Camp - While many of the week- long extreme faith and activities camps are full, there still may be some openings and waiting lists are available. This place is worth the week!
Local Parish Youth Mission Trip - Many local parishes have mission trips during the summer. This is a great way to not only learn what it means to help the least of God's people, but also collect service hours.
Local Parish Vacation Bible School Volunteering - Many parishes could use some volunteer help at their week-long VBS. What a tremendous way to share your faith and earn some service hours!
Upcoming Events
May - Month of the Blessed Mother
May 1 - Service Hours Due (grades 9-11)
May 1 - Feast of St. Joseph the Worker
May 1 - May Crownings during Theology Classes
May 1 - 5 Minute Prayer after school in the LRC
May 1 - Marianist LIFE Night of Adoration, Praise & Worship at 6:30pm
May 3 - First Friday Mass at 7:15am in STVM Chapel
May 8 - 5 Minute Prayer after School in the LRC
May 10 - Rosary in the Chapel at 7:25am
May 15 - Last Marianist LIFE Night 6-8pm LRC
May 16 - Senior Farewell Mass - 9am - Arena
May 20 - 24 - Exam Week for Freshmen, Sophomores & Juniors
May 20 - Baccalaureate Mass - 6pm - St. Hilary
May 21 - Graduation
May 24 - Last Day of School
Marianist Moment
Marianists believe that Mary is the perfect model of discipleship. She shows us how to love, trust, and follow Jesus better than any other human being. She also encourages us to "Do whatever He tells you." John 2:5
On May 1, we celebrate the Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker. Fr. Donald Calloway says, "Long before Calvary, when Jesus commanded all of his disciples to take Mary into their hearts and homes, St. Joseph had already taken Mary into his heart and into his home." You can learn more about St. Joseph by watching this video.
Let us pray:
Joseph, by the work of your hands and the sweat of your brow, you supported Jesus and Mary, and had the Son of God as your fellow worker. Teach me to work as you did, with patience and perseverance, for God and for those whom God has given me to support. Teach me to see in my fellow workers the Christ who desires to be in them, that I may always be charitable and forbearing towards all. Grant me to look upon work with the eyes of faith, so that I shall recognize in it my share in God’s own creative activity and in Christ’s work of our redemption, and so take pride in it. When it is pleasant and productive, remind me to give thanks to God for it. And when it is burdensome, teach me to offer it to God, in reparation for my sins and the sins of the world. O good father Joseph! I beg you, by all your sufferings, sorrows and joys, to obtain for me what I now ask. Obtain for all those who have asked my prayers, everything that is useful to them in the plan of God. Be near to me in my last moments that I may eternally sing the praises of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Amen.
We also invite you to download the Marianist App for lots of great resources and information.
It is also important to understand why we, as Catholics, hold Mary in high esteem, call her our Mother, and ask for her intercession. This short video with Fr. Mike Schmitz gives a good introduction and explanation to help us to understand our relationship with Mary.
