Sustaining a Catholic Identity in a multifaith community

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Sustaining a Catholic Identity in a multi-faith
community

• Marymount International School
• ROME, ITALY

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Religious diversity 766 students
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Promoting the Catholic Faith

• At Marymount, we continually offer the following
  opportunities in Catholic faith formation
• Sacramental preparation
• --2nd Grade- First Reconciliation and First
  Communion
• --7th Grade and high school students-Confirmati
  on
• Sacraments
• --Reconciliation Liturgies in Advent and Lent
• --Daily Mass in the School Chapel
• --Sunday Mass in the School Chapel as a part
  of the
• Church of Santa Susanna, Rome (Paulist
  Fathers)

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Promoting faith formation

• Prayer/ Reverence
• Early Childhood 2 and
  Kindergarten
• go to the school Chapel weekly Early
  Childhood occasionally
• EC and First Grade go to the Chapel for a
  paraliturgy
• during the time Gr. 2-5 are at Mass in the
  auditorium.
• Daily Prayer
• Elementary Secondary hear a
  prayer in the morning
• over the intercom system
• In Early Childhood, a morning prayer is
  recited in the classrooms
• Secondary School Religious Studies students
  take turns
• composing prayers to be read in the
  morning.
• Prayer is a conversation with Him whom we
  know love us.
• 
  St. Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church

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Celebrating the Catholic Faith

• Liturgical year
• Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter (bulletin
  board displays)
• Holy Mass with students and faculty
• Each division has five Masses during the
  school year Once a year class Masses in the
  School Chapel for Grade 9-12
• Lives of the Saints Witness to the Gospel
• Elementary art projects on the saints,
  report on the life of a saint
• Middle School Confirmation candidates
  select a saints name, research life story and
  give a live presentation, dressed as the saint,
  in the Annual Saints Museum outdoors in May.
• High School saints and heroes of social
  justice Francis of Assisi,
• Peter Claver, Maximilan Kolbe, Dorothy Day,
  Mother Teresa

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Catholic Symbols and Signs

• In all classrooms a crucifix and the mission
  statement
• Statutes or paintings of Mary in all buildings
  In May, crowning of Mary
• Nativity Sets at Advent
• RSHM insignia incorporated into the school crest
  on school garments

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Demonstrating fidelity to the Catholic tradition
and the RSHM vision

• Personalism Centrality of the human person and
  affirming his/her inherent value and dignity
• made in the image of God and redeemed by
  Christ
• Curricula Knowledge set in the context of
  faith becomes wisdom and life vision. The various
  school subjects do not present only knowledge to
  be attained, but also values to be acquired, and
  truths to be discovered.
• Social Practice Providing opportunities for
  helping the poor and marginalized here in Rome
  Encouraging an attitude of acceptance and
  understanding.
• Internationality Welcoming diversity to enrich
  dialogue, interactions, and perspectives

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School Climate

• The role of the educating community
• The school is more than a collection of
  persons from different
• countries and professing different religous
  perspectives
• it is also a place of complete formation
  through interpersonal
• relations parents, teachers, staff,
  administrators, and
• Board members. Our aim is to provide a
  living/working
• environment where faith is taught and
  practiced.
• Opportunities for Faculty Staff
• Attending the Béziers Experience in October
  
• 2 Faculty/Staff Retreats planned for
  2006-2007
• Membership on the Mission Integration Team

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Sister Schools in Zambia

• Annual Fundraisers for the schools needs
• Correspondance shared with faculty and students
• Faculty and staff have visited and spent time at
  the schools in Choma, Chivuna and Lusaka

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Religious Studies Curricula

• Early Childhood Creation and Bible Stories
• Elementary New Testament, Sacraments, Creed,
  Devotions, and Living the Gospel
• Middle School Faith Celebrations,
  Sacraments/Discipleship, Church History
• High School Great Religions of the World,
• Peace Justice, Christian Morality,
• Philosphy of Religion/Bioethics (semester
  courses)

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Supporting Experiences

• Emphasis on the goals and criteria of the RSHM
  schoolsselecting a specific goal each year for
  deeper appreciation and understanding goals
  embedded in the Atlas Curriculum map
• Annual Social Needs Awareness Week
• In Secondary School, the Marymount Community Days
  (all day class retreats)
• Overnight retreats for Juniors Seniors

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Prayers for Peace 2004

• On the feast of St. Francis of Assisi,
• October 4th, the whole school community
  gathered to hear prayers of peace recited by
  representatives of the following religions
  Christian, Jewish, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism,
  Sikhism.
• We all prayed with hearts and minds
  respectful of all faith traditions.

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Looking Ahead

• Maintain an emphasis on deeply meaningful values
  and vision
• Communicate clearly and concretely the purpose
  and the mission of our Catholic school
• Plan events to celebrate unity in diversity keep
  events that already achieve this goal

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Bibliography/Resources

• Church Documents Catholic School on the
  Threshold of the Third Millennium, 1997.
• Goals Criteria for the RSHM Schools
• Marymount International Schools
• Mission Statement
• Individuals Faculty/staff members and students
  (topics, advice suggestions)