Campus Ministry News

The last two months have been busy ones for Campus Ministry!  Here are some of the highlights:

• Our Duchesne Kairos team joined the St. Francis Borgia community at their Kairos retreat to train, in preparation for leading their classmates through the DHS seniors’ Kairos retreat in March. DHS Campus Minister Mike “Mr. Fitz” Fitzgerald and Fr. Chris Holtmann were joined by senior leaders Chris Hernandez, Brooke Kammerer, Eve McGowan, Isabel Rakers, Leo Reyes Marquez, Gabi Ulrich, and Mia Young.

• A two-day food drive sponsored by our Houses netted 82 boxes of food and household supplies for Sts. Joachim and Ann Care Service. We are PIONEER PROUD of all our students, faculty, and staff for their generosity!

• We had a 9-day novena, praying in union with our patroness, St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, which culminated on her feast day of November 18.

• Also on the feast day of our saint, Fr. Chris blessed third-class relics of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, which were then shared with our students, faculty, and staff. Thank you to DHS Catholic Identity committee and Board member Ann (Johannesman) Tollefson ’76 for making this possible with the donation of these medallions for this special all-school Mass.

• At our all-school Mass on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, House Rosaries were distributed. These Rosaries were custom made to represent the colors of our four houses: DeVeuster (green), Drexel (red), Jogues (yellow), and Kateri (purple). Thank you to our DHS Catholic Identity committee and Board members who sponsored these special prayer aids in conjunction with Adam and Bethany Camp of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish and Bishop Sheen Rosaries.

• Our students all had the opportunity to experience the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation on Thursday, December 11. Our thanks go out to the many community priests who helped to make this possible.

• Adopt-a-Family this year is featuring four big gifts – one sponsored by each House – in addition to fulfilling a special request by a foster child to take her foster mom to a Blues hockey game. Excess DHS donations for this annual Christmas tradition are being used for gift cards to supplement Sts. Joachim and Ann Care Service’s adopt-a-family program. Our gifts will be delivered after our all-school Christmas Mass, which will be at 8:15am on Tuesday, December 16. (All are welcome!)

Looking ahead, our team of 39 student volunteers is working with Mr. Fitz to plan Mission Week, March 23-27, centered around the color-related theme, “Paint the World with Purpose.”