A Campus Ministry for All

Other schools have a campus ministry team; at St. Genevieve everyone is a campus minister. Every staff member – from TK teachers, elementary or high school instructor of math and science, those working in the business office, and even the principal – understands the call to minister to our students on a daily basis.

The Love of God dwells at St. Genevieve Parish Schools. When you set foot on our campus, you can feel the Valiant Spirit. This spirit of Christian love is palpable; you can feel this welcoming spirit and you can feel the love students have for their teachers and their community.

The Love of Christ is at the center of our ministry. This ministry begins with our dedicated faculty and staff participating in an annual four-day overnight retreat. Teachers understand the importance of this retreat making a sacrifice of leaving loved ones, second jobs, and graduate classes behind to focus on their spiritual nourishment. At this retreat, our faculty and staff come together to grow spiritually, create trust and friendships, and deepen our love for one another, as we build the kingdom of God here at St. Genevieve. Here is where that Valiant Spirit not only develops and grows but is taken back to our campus to be shared and transmitted to our students. This creates a culture where teachers love their students, and students love their teachers.

The Love of God is celebrated in powerful  grace-filled moments, such as our memorable 2020 Ash Wednesday celebration. Our entire school community, including many parents, gathered that morning out in the schoolyard for a prayer service led by our pastor. Students from every grade level were selected by their peers, for being examples of Christ, to present our written Lenten promises to be offered up as burnt offerings. These promises offered up to God, returned to us as the ashes marking our ­­willingness to be transformed by our Lenten journey. It’s moments like these that the presence of Christ is felt.

Come be nourished by the Word of God and His presence in the Eucharist and our liturgical celebrations where the angelic voices of our little ones c­­­­ombine with the changing voices of our eldest students. Visitors are awestruck at the sight and sound of students from all grades and backgrounds worshipping with fervor and joy. Our worship is profound from the diversity and music we create. Students participate in reading prayers in the various languages represented in our community. Our middle school and high school Masses include  the visual splendor of Gospel re-enactments, liturgical dance, and of course the Valiant Voices singing. We love to sing at St. Genevieve!

The love that we feel is so great, that we are compelled to put our faith into action. Our community not only learns about our Catholic faith, we live it by praying daily in our classes, reading scriptures, participating in Mass and receiving sacraments. We build our faith by loving one another as ourselves and build character when we give back to others, including our school and community at large. Students  engage in service projects th­­at are grade-level appropriate throughout the year.

Whether it’s participating in a food dri­­­ve or serving food at the Rescue Mission, students are given the opportunity to be the face of Christ to others. Every year they are here on campus, our students learn how to see themselves as campus ministers as well. Students are given opportunities to lead retreats and pass on the Valiant Spirit to the next generation of Valiants. Like all communities, we encounter challenges but we see these as teachable moments that help us grow and learn.  However, what makes our community extraordinary is our desire to encounter and know Jesus Christ by recognizing Him in our midst in the faces of each other. We are constantly nurturing and challenging one another to grow in faith, to teach our faith and to live in faith on a daily basis.

We work every day to create an ideal Catholic School Community.

Our community has more than Sunday masses! We celebrate weekly school masses as well as mass for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Grandparents Day. Other special liturgical celebrations include the blessing of the helmets of the football teams, and the Baccalaureate mass usually celebrated on Mother’s Day when our soon-to-be graduates are escorted by their mothers. Students participate as lectors reading the liturgy of the word, as altar servers, offering the gifts and singing in the choir. Our students sing with praise and enjoy the celebration of the Eucharist.

There are a few times a year that we get to celebrate mass with our high school brothers and sisters, such as the Assumption of Mary, All Saints Day, Immaculate Conception, Homecoming, Advent, prayer services during Holy Week of the Washing of the Feet/Hands and celebrating the end of the school year.

Students have many opportunities to nurture their faith, share Christ’s love, and give back to our brothers and sisters. We donate food and clothing to local shelters, share our Hollywood Bowl picnic with the Midnight Mission, give to other kids through various toy drives, and participate in Adopt-a-Family during Christmas times. During Advent, we write holiday cards to those who are lonely. Students are given the opportunity to celebrate God’s loving mercy through the sacrament of Reconciliation during the Advent and Lenten season.

We often schedule our masses in the evening or on weekends so parents and the community can join us. Mass at our school is incredible; if you ever get the chance, please attend mass with the Valiants. Everyone is welcomed!

At our school, masses are a family affair; we are blessed to have special masses scheduled so that our family and community can celebrate with us. Throughout the year, we also offer our Character Formation Nights which are scheduled in the evenings so parents can attend. At these nights, our guest speakers share powerful stories and life lessons. Our goal is that parents and students will drive home discussing what they have just learned.

Our program provides students  the opportunity to witness our Catholic values through service to our community. Students across K-8th participate in grade level appropriate activities to help them realize we are called to serve. Engaged in service, students experience the joy of giving, and offer love to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

During the school year, every student at St. Genevieve High School – regardless of religious affiliation – participates in Christian Service projects as part of their Religious Studies course. Through personal and community outreach, students experience the grace of God. Through active participation, students will make new friends, discover talents and understand deeply  the joy of giving while they glorify God.