Story by Mary Kroner
HASTINGS (SNR) - As schools across the nation celebrated Catholic Schools Week, students at St. Cecilia High School in Hastings reflected on the benefits of their Catholic education.
Erin Sheehy, a member of St. Cecilia’s Class of 2022, asserted, “I like getting to go to Mass twice a week and having religion class.”
Classmate Garrett Parr said “I like attending a Catholic school because we all share the same values and beliefs. We are called to strive for excellence in all that we do. The faculty and staff are here to help us to grow closer to Jesus.”
Growing closer to Jesus is precisely the goal of the St. Cecilia campus ministry department.
Father Adam Sughroue, pastor of St. Ann Parish in Doniphan and Sacred Heart in Kenesaw, started the campus ministry program at St. Cecilia in 2014 “to provide students the opportunity to encounter Christ, grow in knowledge, and become Catholic witnesses in service to the truth.”
Some of the campus ministry events include retreats and service-learning days for middle school and high school students, weekly Wednesday evening holy hours, penance services and other confession times, and participating in the March for Life in Washington, D.C.
Perhaps most notably, a new program called All Glory To God (AG2G) has been nourished by the campus ministry department and has made a significant impact on the school as a whole. AG2G is a student group comprised of students from grades 9-12. They are first taught to be disciples of Christ in order to then help others become disciples. Reminders that “All Glory To God” are displayed throughout the school building, as well as on club and sport t-shirts.
There are four pillars which are the foundation of the group. The first is Eucharistic centered, which means students commit to two Wednesday night holy hours a month, inviting at least one person to go with them, and they will commit to a daily chapel visit.
The second is Marian devotion which students cultivate by completing a Marian Consecration. Students learn the third pillar, discipleship, by arranging to meet with a priest or sister for spiritual direction and attending one big event such as the March for Life or Steubenville conference.
Fourthly, students commit to attending a morning prayer activity once a week and leading it once a month. They have the opportunity to participate in planned service opportunities throughout the year. Students also commit to saying certain prayers daily.
The group meets at least once a month to discuss and share how their commitments are going, as well as hear witness talks from staff and faculty members about their own journey with Christ.
Father Sughroue discussed the primary fruit of the program which is helping students “to remember that in all we do, academics, sports, band, plays, speech team, is to give glory to God. God has given us our talents and we want to return them to Him and pray while doing so.”
Religion teacher Sister Xavier Schulze assists Father Sughroue with campus ministry needs by leading AG2G Disciples group meetings and organizing one-on-one meetings with middle school students as part of the new accompaniment program which was started at the middle school this year.
“Sister Xavier has been a wonderful addition to the Campus Ministry department,” Father Sughroue said. “She brings energy and excitement to her classroom and to the student body.”
“Meeting with students takes up most of my day. I meet one-on-one with them to help them navigate the difficult middle school years and to grow in prayer,” Sister Xavier explained. “Father Sughroue and Sister Teresa Maria also meet with students for the same purpose.”
Sister Xavier reflected on how formative middle school years are and how important it is to help the students learn how to pray and make good and life-giving decisions.
“I am more than humbled to be able to be someone who helps guide them in their Christian life,” she said. “I praise God frequently for the chance to help them grow, it is especially rewarding to be able to see how they become so joyful when they have a genuine encounter with God in prayer.”
Sister Xavier explained that the AG2G program is special because it empowers the students to live their faith out in their daily lives.
“My hope in starting this accompaniment program is that students’ faith will become more personal and all-encompassing throughout their day-to-day life. I hope to help them deepen their prayer lives so that when they leave St. Cecilia, they will not leave their faith behind.”
Helping students to retain their faith after graduation is one of several reasons for choosing Catholic education that Sister Xavier discussed.
Students are taught the truth in Catholic schools, she said, which helps them recognize the lies told by the culture. They are also formed in their faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ and his Church.
Noting one aspect that especially sets Catholic schools apart, Sister Xavier said, “Having the Blessed Sacrament present in our school gives us something that you literally just cannot get in public schools. Many of our students take advantage of visiting Jesus during their study halls and before and after school.”
Father Sughroue pointed out, “In a Catholic school we form the entire child, not just the intellect. In a Catholic school in the Diocese of Lincoln, students regularly encounter priests and religious sisters in habits which allows students to build positive relationships with Jesus Christ at the center.”
Sister Xavier concurred, saying, “I do not know of another diocese that has such dedication to having priests in the schools as well as religious sisters. It is very special to be able to encounter several priests each day and know that you always have the sacraments available to you.”
