The spiritual development of Louisville students is paramount. Campus Ministry is the soul of Louisville, promoting an attitude of prayer and a spirit of openness. Campus Ministry fosters the mission and charism of Louisville High School beginning with morning prayer each day and culminating in a deeper realization of the call to action as Christians in a world in need.

Geena Haney receives Christian Service Award, Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Each year, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles recognizes the outstanding contributions of Christian service by our high school students throughout the Archdiocese. For this recognition, each Catholic high school is asked to nominate one senior student for recognition of his/her effort. This year, Louisville High School nominated Geena Haney, Class of 2008. “I am
completely honored to have received this award, and I attribute a great deal of the love and enthusiasm that I bring to my service directly to Louisville
High School.” In her four years at Louisville High School, Geena has volunteered more than 820 hours of Christian service, many at St. Jude’s Parish as a confirmation leader, summer camp leader and parish committee leader. She is our ASB Student Campus Minister, a busy senior, and involved in many other activities. When Geena was asked what she has learned from her Christian service, Geena replied, “To me, service is about giving of my time and talents to better the lives of those around me. In the process, I
have been blessed with opportunities to meet new people, try new
experiences and grow as an individual in Christ and love.”

 

Metanoia - A Change of Mind…
...a change of heart in the sense of embracing thoughts and attitudes that are beyond our present limitations. During the season of Lent, Louisville was called to reflect, to sacrifice and to give to those in need. The faculty and each class, as well as ASB and Campus Ministry, were given a blessing to reflect upon and to use as a resource in order to promote metanoia in our community. Freshmen were given the blessing of Light; sophomores, the blessing of water; juniors, the blessing of breakfast and lunch; seniors, the blessing of medicine; faculty, the blessing of education; ASB, the blessing of family; and, finally, Campus Ministry was given the blessing of reflection. These blessings were inspired by the talk given by Thomas Awiapo earlier
in the year. During this sacred season, we took time to reflect on the suffering and needs of the children of Africa, allowing theses children to share their poverty with us, as we share our almsgiving with them. All of the money raised during Lent will be sent to aid Africa. The student body came together to raise money in a variety of ways. Every Friday, Lenten lunches were offered along with a creative fund-raiser selling a variety of items including hand-made cook books, candles, journals and inspiration rocks. The Lenten season was brought to a prayerful conclusion with a beautiful paraliturgy during Holy Week.

HOME for Christmas

The concept of HOME in today’s world is varied, and is therefore understood and lived in many ways. Our patron, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, is the one home that we seek yet rarely acknowledge. May this season of Advent bring us all home to the place we are most loved.

Each class will have an Advent virtue to foster and encourage others to foster as well. Each class will also have a focus in regards to HOME that will be the theme of their morning prayer and an important subject about which to raise awareness and a sense of responsibility.

The virtue for the freshman class is FAITH, and their focus is the Nativity story and the manger as a home. The freshman will also try to encourage the Louisville community to make a home for Christ within ourselves…to welcome Christ as though the heart were a manger. The manger as home is one concept of home where we are all welcome, regardless of our individual home situations; there is room in the manger for all of us.

The virtue for the sophomore class is LOVE, and their focus is the idea of home as we experience it, and how each of us can help to make this Christmas a time of family and celebration. Regardless of the makeup of our families or the ways we celebrate Christmas, what can we as individuals do to bring joy and to celebrate love in our own homes? This is a question for the sophomores to pose and try to answer.

The virtue for the junior class is HOPE, and their focus will be on those who cannot be home for Christmas -- with a special emphasis on those who are in prison. Relying on St Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 25:31-46, the juniors will raise consciousness about those Jesus mentions… the hungry, the thirsty, and the naked, the homeless… the stranger, the imprisoned, the sick. The task of the junior class is to challenge the Louisville community to reach out to these Christ-figures in order to give them a sense of HOME through our awareness, through prayer and action.  The action will be to raise funds or collect objects to be sent to a prison in time for Christmas. The specific details are yet to be decided… The freshmen will be called upon to support the juniors with their project once the particulars are finalized.

The senior virtue is PEACE, and, like the juniors, their focus will be on reaching out to those who cannot be home for Christmas. In their case they will be reaching out to soldiers in Iraq, particularly Jason Martin, brother of senior Sarah Martin, and those who serve with him. The senior’s morning prayer will focus on peace throughout the world. The sophomore class will support the seniors with their project.

The faculty virtue will be JOY, and their prayers will be personal reflections on home and the joy of the Christmas season.

Throughout the season there will be prayer services in the school chapel traditionally called “Come to the Stable.” All students are welcome to these services as we daily place a figure in the manger. At Louisville we do not rush into Christmas, rather we wait with the shepherds, we wonder with them and dwell in the awesome splendor of it all.

 

The Advent Liturgy will be celebrated on December 6,

the feast of St Nicholas. Our presider will be Bishop Joseph Sartoris who is a long time friend of Louisville. At this Liturgy the seniors will decorate our tree, place the star of Bethlehem on the top, put some fresh hay in the cradle and candle in our window… all according to tradition… all according to the spirit of Christmas and the hope it brings. “You come too!”

Reflections from Campus Ministry - November, 2007

love is a place

& through this place of

love move

(with the brightness of peace)

all places

yes is a world

& in this world of

yes live

(skillfully curled)

all worlds

e. e. cummings

Campus ministry is a place too; and just as the poem suggests, all of campus life at Louisville moves through it or at least to its rhythm. Campus ministry is also an organization of committed students who lead retreats, who plan and assist at liturgy, who arrange the morning prayer and help the community to celebrate the liturgical year. Soon it will be Advent and already Campus Ministry is at work planning how we will prepare for the birth of Christ… how we will be ready to say… “There is room in this inn… ‘yes, is a world and in this world of yes, live skillfully curled all worlds!’”

This year, Campus Ministry, in collaboration with the Christian Service Office, has joined spiritual forces so that while one third of students are on retreat, the rest of the class is participating in worthwhile Christian Service projects. This new plan has worked out incredibly well and has brought a great grace to our campus. The freshman class has finished its retreats and service for this year, but the sophomores, juniors and seniors will continue to work and pray throughout the year.

Please keep the seniors in your prayers while they are on Kairos #85, and service from December 11 until December 14.

Keep your hearts up and fight on!

Kathleen Nicholas

Campus Minister