Campus Ministry Family Newsletter

A PRAYER FOR ALL SAINTS DAY

Dear God,

thank you for the example of the Saints.

I desire to join in their company,

worshiping you forever in Heaven.

Please help me follow their footsteps,

and yours, Jesus Christ.

Please help me to conform

myself to Your image,

seeking Your will in all things,

as the Saints did.

Please help me to devote myself,

and all that I do, to Your glory,

and to the service of my neighbors.

Amen.

Wow!! Just like that...November is here! Happy All Saints' Day. I love the saints! I look to these holy men and women, who were flawed in every way like me, yet, who allowed God to work through them despite their flaws, to spread the Kingdom of God on Earth. This is a great 5- minute video about All Saints' Day and how each of us are called to be saints. Our students watched the video at the last Marianist LIFE night and found it to be very helpful.

Don't forget to use your Hallow app! Thanks to a generous donor, STVM is blessed to have schoolwide access to Hallow, a Catholic meditation and prayer app. The Hallow app provides a wealth of resources, including audio-guided Bible stories, prayers, meditations, and Christian music. The students and staff were introduced to the app last week, and we are looking forward to fully enjoying its features, especially prayer challenges and daily prayer. I'm excited to tell you that parents can also join in on the app for free for 3 months. Here are the details:

1) Go to Hallow.com/redeem;

2) Enter the following promo code: SVSMOHparents23-24

I want to thank Dan Larlham, Lisa Bradley, Heidi Tripp, Beth Dolan, Jeff Pitts, Dan Lancianese, Kathy Brunn, Ryan Jacubczak, former teacher Anthony Boarman, and our parent and retiree volunteers who truly made our Junior Retreat Day a great blessing and success. The feedback from our juniors has been very positive. Dates for the freshman and sophomore retreat will be announced soon!

Don't forget we will have a First Friday Mass in our Chapel this Friday at 7:15am. Fr. Cameron from St. Hilary will be our celebrant. Donuts are always a bonus for those who come! Please know you are always welcome.

As part of our Marianist Sponsorship, STVM is given the opportunity to send 4 professionals each year to two Marianist retreats, one called Teaching as Ministry (TAM), held in June, and one called Heart 2 Heart (H2H), held in November. Heather Kubala and Jenny Falls went last fall to H2H. Glenn Griffin and Lauren Hill will be going next week. Abbi Woodward went to the TAM over the summer and has written a reflection to help us know what it is all about.

TEACHING AS MINISTRY RETREAT REFLECTION

In June 2023 I attended a three-day Teaching as Ministry (TAM) Marianist retreat in St. Louis, Missouri. This was a refreshing and educational experience that I was blessed to be a part of. It allowed me to connect with Marianist educators from across not only the country but the world, bringing our unique experiences and backgrounds together in a faith-filled and fun-filled environment. There were representatives from thirteen other Marianist schools, including St. Louis School in Hawaii, Colegio San Jose in Puerto Rico, and Emmanuel College in Australia. (keep reading here)

Please check with your students to see if they have claimed their Mobile Serve Account and if they know how to log their hours. It is important to make sure that students are staying on top of their 25 hours. As a reminder, here are the expectations regarding service. Our students at all grade levels need to complete 25 hours of service. A minimum of 15 must be completed at an organization outside of STVM. Here is last year's Service Opportunities List. This will be updated for this year but will still be located at this link.

As we celebrate All Saints' Day, did you know that there are several Marianists who are Blesseds and on the journey to Sainthood?

God gives us the saints to encourage and guide us on the path of Christian life. It is important not to let this help be lost, especially when it concerns our Marianist Family. A beatification or canonization is, above all, the fruit of the people’s devotion and attachment to this witness whose power of intercession we use, bringing about graces and miracles. Learn about these Blesseds and their Cause for Sainthood here.

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.

Nov. 1 All Saints Day Whole School Mass 1:30p & Eucharistic Revival Rally

Nov. 1-18 Canned Food Drive Begins

Nov. 2 Blood Drive

Nov. 3 First Friday Mass 7:15am

Nov. 6 Open House

Nov. 8 1:30 pm Dismissal

Nov. 12-15 Kairos #46

Nov. 16 LIFE Meeting - Friendsgiving and Gratitude Night

Nov. 21 Thanksgiving Prayer Service and Adopt-A-Family Kick Off 1:30 pm

Nov. 28 Adopt-A-Family Collection Begins

Nov. 28 We Give Catholic

Nov. 28 Weekly Advent Prayer/Advent Wreath (LIFE to Do)

Volunteer Opportunities

• Donate cash or supply needed food items for Marianist LIFE Night. Email Mrs. McKnight if interested.
• Marianist LIFE would like to support donations for socks, hats, and gloves for the Peter Maurin Homeless Shelter. Email Mrs. Goshe if you have ideas on how to do this best.
• Work with Mrs. Goshe to organize and present this year's Adopt-A-Family Program. Email Mrs. Goshe if interested.
• Donate for students to attend CLE 2.16. Email Mrs. Goshe.

Snacks - always in need of donations for snacks to share with students in Campus Ministry. You send the donations in with your student or you can Venmo the money and mark that it is for Campus Ministry. Our students love snack size chip varieties, granola bars, apple sauce, cheese crackers.

Click on the button below to buy Car Raffle Tickets to support Campus Ministry.

November 2, 1-10 pm, St. Sebastian is hosting the veneration of a relic of St. Jude. Mass for All Souls Day will be at 7pm with veneration ending at 10pm. Come and pray with this Saint of Impossible Causes.

Election Holy Hour Vigils: Many churches in the area are hosting vigils of prayer on the eve before the election to pray that Issue 1 is defeated. Look up local churches to find out who is having one near you.

November 12, beginning at 9:30am is Family Day at the the Seminary. Families are invited to join the seminarians and faculty of Borromeo and Saint Mary for a day of prayer, fellowship, and tours. RSVP's are required. Click here for more info.

THEME - Make Your Own FIAT! Say YES to God! Luke 1:38 says, "Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Mary said yes to God, even when she was unsure of what it all meant to be chosen to be the Mother of God. She was the age of most of our students when she made this FIAT - her YES - that forever changed the world.

MISSION - Teach, share, support, and live the Mission of St. Vincent- St. Mary and the Marianist Characteristics of Education with an emphasis on invitation and hospitality.

VISION - Every day, every person, every interaction, an encounter with Christ.