CHRISTIAN SERVICE LETTER
2017-2018
“This I command you: love one another.” - John 15:17
In the tradition of St. Vincent DePaul in serving those who are most in need, we look forward to the 2017-2018 Christian Service Program. St. John gives us the charge from Christ himself, that as we consider ourselves members of a Christian Community, we are reminded that our first command is to love one another. In addition, De Paul Catholic High School’s Mission Statement clearly says:
DePaul Catholic provides a Catholic experience of educational sharing which promotes, protects, and nurtures the dignity of each person while fostering a communal commitment of love and service to all of God's people.
In that spirit, the following are the requirements for this year’s CSP:
· All students are required to complete 15 hours of service each year, to total 60 hours by the end of senior year.
· Approved ministries would include:
- Freshman – service to the Elderly, Sick & Dying or Disabled Adults,
- Sophomore - service to Children,
- Juniors - service to the Poor,
- Seniors - service to a site and organization of their choosing encompassing any of the approved ministries from: Elderly, Sick & Dying or Disabled Adults, Children or the Poor.
*Christian service is defined as the direct provision of a basic human good to a person or persons in remarkable need. The DePaul Catholic CSP program intention is that you will work with people in remarkable needs – people who are poor, homeless, sick, dying, mentally or physically challenged, or in need of education, supervision, or companionship.
All service opportunities must be approved by your Theology teacher. Service may include needs within the
DePaul Catholic High School facility, Diocesan programs upon approval or a service oriented ministry of their own choosing in compliance with the ministry guidelines above.
Please be aware of the following requirements:
1. The first requirement involves the student and parents completing a commitment form, which includes a description and plan of service, to be submitted by September 29, 2017.
- The First semester requirement includes submission of the partial Time Log, reflection questions, and 5 hours of completed service due December 15, 2017. Time Log must be signed by your parents or the site supervisor.
- The Second semester requirement includes submission of a completed Time Log, and essay or presentation due April 23, 2018. Seniors who do not complete the Q4 requirement will receive an Incomplete and will not receive their diplomas until the assignment has been completed.
- The Senior Q4 project must include information regarding all four years of service.
You may begin working on your service hours over the summer, however, no completed service
paperwork will be accepted during the summer. Please keep a copy of your paperwork and submit it to your Theology teacher during the first week of classes in September.
No completed contracts, service logs, or reflections will be accepted by anyone except your Theology teacher. Any paperwork that is turned in to anyone other than your Theology teacher will be considered late. Please keep copies of your paperwork at home as we do not keep the paperwork beyond the end of the school year.
Failure to complete hours:
· A family meeting with the Chaplain and/or Administration
· If any students fails to complete their CSP hours they will not be permitted to return the following academic year.
All DePaul students are expected to dress neatly and modestly for their CSP visits. Please remember that you are representing DePaul when you are visiting your service sites; therefore there cannot be any short skirts, short-shorts, ripped jeans/pants, midriff shirts, or t-shirts with questionable or objectionable messages. Agencies will be advised to refuse anyone for service that is dressed inappropriately. Please also remember that no student should arrive at an agency without a prearranged appointment.
Please note that it is the student’s responsibility to make all contact with the service site, to print or pick-up, and to turn in the required paperwork. All required forms and documentation are available online at depaulcatholic.org under Spiritual Life, and will not be mailed home this year. However, we are aware that some may not have computer or internet access at home, so all copies of the required forms and documentation are available in the main office.
Additional site opportunities can be found at: http://www.catholicharities.org/index.php?option=com_volunteeropps&view=opps&Itemid=78
This experience is meant to enrich you, hoping that service will become a way of life, realizing that we all have a responsibility to serve the community and the less fortunate. I urge you to take this responsibility seriously, and by doing so, you will find it monumentally more rewarding and hopefully life-changing.
God’s Blessing for the good you will do for others.
Rev. Christopher Barkhausen & Sr. Jeanne Agans