CampusMinistry

GroundedinCatholicandIgnatianTradition,CampusMinistryaccompaniesourstudentsintheirfaithdevelopmentoffering themtoolsfortheirspiritualjourney.Throughexperiencesof prayer,reflection,leadership,andservice,andbasedontheSpiritual Exercisesof St.Ignatiusof Loyola,weguidestudentstowardadeeperloveof self,others,andGod.Outof thislove,werespond bybeingpeopleforandwithothers.IntheSpiritof theGospelsweheedthecalltoaffectchangeinourschool,community,and worldbybeingcommittedtojustice.Allreligiousandspiritualactivitiesaredesignedtorespecteachperson?sreligioustradition,for theGreaterGloryof God.

Community ServiceProgram

Thecommunity serviceprogram at Cheverussupports thedevelopment of our Grad at Grad to beloving, committed to social justice, and to haveexperience with thewider community to put into action being peoplefor and with others. Lovein action isthe central tenet of our serviceprogram. AsSt. Ignatius said to hiscompanions, ?Go forth and set theworld on fire.?Examplesof eligibleserviceincludePreble Street or St Vincent DePaul Soup Kitchen, Special Olympics, involvement in aParish community, environmental clean-up, mentoringyoungpeoplesuch asthrough BigBrother BigSister, and serviceat Mercy Hospital or MaineMedical Center. Students arenot to receiveany payment or stipend for their service.

Freshmen

Sophomores

Serviceiscompleted under thedirection of theschool duringtheir fall retreat

20 independent hoursplus theschool-sponsored community serviceday for atotal of 25 hours

Juniors

25 independent hours, initiatingasitefor service and reportingtheir service to CampusMinistry

CheverusRetreat Program

Themissionof theCheverusretreatprogramistoengage studentsasactiveparticipantsintheirexplorationof spirituality. Retreatsprovidearelaxingandreflectiveatmosphereforstudents toexploreIgnatianSpiritualityof discoveringGodinallthings andtoreflectonwhatitmeanstobeapersonforandwithothers . .

IgniteYour Spirit FreshmanRetreat

Seniors

Seniorsparticipatein a culminatingmonth-long serviceproject duringMay called theArrupeProject. Seniorsspend their day at Southern Mainenonprofit organizationsaidingthe facility in their mission At theend of theexperience, seniorswriteareflection paper in relation to the Grad at Grad and offer their reflectionsto small groupsof thestudent body

Thisisan overnight retreat held on campusat Cheverus. Theretreat centerson theidealsof St. Ignatius Talksaregiven by seniorsentitled, ?Why Are You Here,??Who Am I,?and ?God?sLove.?It isa timefor personal reflection and atimeto build community with classmatesthrough small groups, reflection, games, and activities. Thenext morning studentsparticipatein acommunity serviceday, endingtheretreat by witnessingwhat it meansto bea person for and with others

Trust

SophomoreRetreat

Theretreat beginswith daily morningmassheld in the CheverusChapel Thethemeof thesophomoreretreat isrelationships, especially friendships. Through the experienceof guided meditation, avariety of trust exercises, and rock climbing, thesophomorestudent is challenged to recognizetherisk and task involved in friendshipsand howdiscipline, trust, goal setting, and cooperation can help them to overcomeobstaclesto a maturerelationship with othersand God By sharing their own experiencesand growth, juniorsand seniors act aspeer ministersto their fellowstudents Theday endswith reflectingon their experience.

Discerning Your Journey

JuniorRetreat

Theretreat beginswith daily morningmassheld in the CheverusChapel. Thethemeof thejunior retreat is Ignatian Discernment. Thisretreat isan opportunity for studentsto reflect on thechoicesthey encounter in their social, academic, and spiritual life. It isatimeto reflect on thepositiveand negativevoicesthey have heard through their lives (family/friends/themselves/others) so they can choose to respond in away that leadsto thebest version of themselvesand thegreater good. Students? conversationsand reflectionsoffer insight to discern howto respond to relationships, choices, decisions, circumstances, and activities

Social Justice& Kairos

SeniorRetreats

Kairosisbased on theSpiritual Exercisesof St Ignatiusand isafour-day experienceheld off-campus. Kairosmeans?God?stime?Theretreat leaders, composed of faculty and studentswho have experienced Kairos, giveseveral major talks Thereare activitiesto promoteand build community, foster trust and openness, and encouragereflection. Thereis an additional feefor thisretreat Kairosisoffered four timesthroughout theschool year.

Companionsin Mission Learning

CheverusHighSchoolCampusMinistryimmersionprogramsofferintentionalexperiencesof encounter.Immersionparticipants become?contemplativesinaction.?Before,during,andaftertrips,studentsareledthroughdeepreflectionsothattheymightbetter discernwaystoactivelyengagewiththeworld.ThevisionbehindthesetripsisgroundedintheGospelmessageof JesusChristand madeconcretewithinourJesuittradition.Althoughmanyof thetripsinvolvetravelingoutsideof Portland,studentscometo understandhowcomplexjusticeissues,accumulatedadvantage,anddisadvantageareatplayintheirlocalcontextandlives . Studentsgrowtheirskillsatlisteningandaccompaniment,formingintelligentquestionsandcreatingthoughtfuldialogue.Through relationshipsbuiltandstoriessharedonthesetrips,studentswilllearnaboutpeoplewholiveonthemargins.Despitetheservice componentof thesetrips,immersiontripsarenotmeanttochangeortosaveotherpeople,butinsteadtoopenourselvesuptobeing changed.Immersiontripsallowourstudentstounderstandcomplexsocialissues,movingfarbeyondsoundbitesandtweets .

Ignatian Family Teach-In for Social Justice

TheIgnatian Family Teach-In for Justice(IFTJ) isan annual gatheringin Washington, D C in November for membersof theIgnatian family. Theconferencedraws attendeesfrom every Jesuit High School and University in theU.S. and beyond. Delegatescometogether in the context of social justiceand solidarity to learn, reflect, pray, network, and advocatetogether. Catholicsand all peopleof conscienceunderstand thecall to love Love in thepublicarenaisjustice. Thisconferencegives studentsinformation and skillsto work for justiceand build bridgesbetween disparategroupsin their communitiesand theworld. Theweekend culminates in ameeting, with aMaineSenator or Representative on Capitol Hill, when studentsadvocatefor significant justiceissuesthat they learned about at theconference Cheverusstudentsin grades10-12 areinvited to apply for thiscompetitiveopportunity in thespringprior

Portland Urban Plunge

TheCheverusUrban Plungeisasimpleliving immersion experience. Participantswill learn deeply about many social issues, namely poverty, addiction, homelessness, health care, and immigration Theurban plungeisahands-on retreat. Thedaysarea combination of servicework, listeningto personal stories, takingpart in experiential learningactivities, reflection, and prayer

? -CarisWelch ?23

ArrupeLeadership Program

Thisyear-longformation program providesstudents to theconcept of Ignatian Leadership and focuses on introducingstudentsto Jesuit traditionsof service, justice, reflection, and discernment while developingleadership skillsrooted in theIgnatian vision. Thisgroup will comprisestudentsfrom all gradesand meet monthly. Studentshavetheoption to attend theArrupeLeadersSummit in February, wherestudentsfrom acrosstheJesuit network of U S secondary schoolsmeet at aJesuit Retreat Housein Ohio, California, or Maryland to shareideasand develop skillsfor inspired and effectivestudent leadership

Southern Border Immersion Trip

Motivated by thecall of PopeFrancisto embrace refugeesand asylees, theSouthern Border Immersion Program humanizesmigration acrossour U.S. border On thistrip, studentslearn about the complexitiesat theborderlandsof Arizonaand Mexico, payingspecial attention to storiesof human struggleand resilience. Studentsdeepen their appreciation for theeffortsof theJesuit network through our collaboration with theKino Border Initiative.

For moreinformation: immersion.cheverus.org