Seeking Christ through service

written by Lori Jones

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” — Proverbs 22:6

Service Learning has always been a pillar of a Pope John Paul II High/Preparatory School education. Over the past 20 years, the Service Learning program has given students the opportunity to develop as community leaders and adults who seek to make a difference in their communities, highlighting our mission to develop students for “lives of learning and service, according to the Gospel.” Over the years, the program has seen many iterations that not only challenged students to complete a required amount of service hours, but also inspired them to serve others beyond the expectations of the program.

Connecting service to faith retreats has been especially pivotal in helping students see the connections between their faith and their service to others. Director of Campus Ministry, Joshua Strope, shared the team’s vision: “Retreats are now more holistic,” said Strope. “We’ve tied it all together: Mass, faith talks, reflections, and service.”

Class retreats begin with Mass to establish the day’s focus on Christ. A special guest speaker gives a faith talk on the retreat’s theme, which focuses on foundations, community, servant leadership, or discipleship. A time for personal reflection follows, and then “they go out into the world and lead by example to act as the hands and feet of Christ, just as He commanded, and that’s what they do,” said Strope.

Service is not just checking a required box; it is designed to help students recognize Christ in others. Whether students go out in groups and serve in food banks, rescue missions, after-school programs, or senior centers, they have the opportunity to share the love of Christ with others in a personal way.

“But the retreat experience provides even more,” Service Coordinator Daniel Dion adds. Students learn more about their peers and teachers when they return to campus for group discussions. “We provided an opportunity for students and adults to reflect and share their personal experiences, which led to a deeper relationship with each other and, more importantly, God,” said Dion.

As part of the theology curriculum on Catholic Social Teaching, seniors have the privilege of serving Hendersonville and other local communities as a component of their class. Seniors learn about the dignity of the human person, subsidiarity, the common good, and solidarity and then venture out to service locations to live out these pillars. As graduates of Pope Prep, their faith foundation is reinforced with four to seven years of theology and service experiences, a foundation which we hope will inspire them as adults to be generous with their time, talent, and treasure and live by example as men and women of integrity.

SENIOR RETREAT & SERVICE DAY

On their retreat day, seniors served several nonprofit agencies in the Nashville area.

Senior Mia Markham reflected on her service experience as an important part of her faith formation. She shared, “I think that being in a hospital can sometimes hurt faith because it prompts the question about why good people have bad things happen to them (getting sick, etc.) . . . But doing service at the hospital allows you to see God in the bad. It’s seeing the patience of a nurse when a family member just won’t listen, or learning about life stories from people you probably would have never met. That’s what makes my service experience unique: it doesn’t answer the question about why bad things happen to good people, but it allows you to see God is right beside you when you thought maybe he had forgotten about you.”

SENIORS SERVING SENIORS

Seniors Logan LeCave and Jake Kellogg enjoyed wearing suits to call the weekly BINGO game at the Gallatin Senior Citizen Center.

Nonprofit organizations have expressed their gratitude for the work students at Pope Prep do to support their mission of service to the community. A Nashville Rescue Mission administrator commented, “Pope John Paul II has been a great partner in furthering our mission here at Nashville Rescue Mission. We appreciate their willingness to come alongside us in the daily operations by supporting our staff as they help serve our community in tangible ways, helping us provide hope for today, tomorrow, and eternity. They make an impact as they encourage our guests and show the love of Jesus to them. We are truly blessed by their continued commitment and dedication to serving our community.”

Additionally, seniors have the unique opportunity to go deeper in their spirituality and prayer with the experience of serving as faith leaders at Pope Prep in the Campus and Ministry Leadership class. This course focuses on developing missionary disciples through theological reflection, discussion, and prayer. Seniors can serve in leadership roles by leading weekly liturgies, sharing their faith formation with others, and conducting annual class faith retreats.

As a bonus, they develop skills in public speaking, event planning, small group leadership, and a deeper personal spiritual life. By graduation, they better understand themselves and how they fit into the Body of Christ.

What does the future look like for Campus Ministry? “More service opportunities,” said Dion. “More tools to develop our faith,” said Strope. Our service outreach this summer will rejuvenate an all-time favorite. A group of high school students and adults will return to Bethlehem Farms in rural West Virginia. “It’s a week where technology is left behind so we can experience nature, explore prayer, tend a garden, and help the people of Appalachia with basic needs and home repairs. We also hope to reintroduce mission trips to central and southern America,” added Dion. With travel restrictions lifted, it’s time once again to expand our reach beyond middle Tennessee.

May we live by the words of our Patron Saint, Pope John Paul II: “Do not be afraid to be saints. Follow Jesus Christ who is the source of freedom and light. Be open to the Lord so that He may lighten all your ways.”

SERVING A CAUSE

Seniors Kathleen Smart, Mia Markham, and Aubree Franklin recruited a Relay for Life team at the annual Service Fair.