Welcome to Christian Service! “Widening the Circle of
Compassion”
– Fr. Greg Boyle, SJ
Dear Prospective Students, Current Students, Alumni and Families,
We warmly welcome you into our long-standing tradition of
service. Here at Jesuit, service is an active response to our
faith; a faith that is inspired by and pursues the example of
Jesus by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the
infirmed, and inviting the outcast into friendship. We realize
that in doing this we are able to grow closer to God and all of
God’s beloved creation. In giving ourselves away we receive more
than we could ever imagine.
We encourage the forging of relationships that allow people in
the community to be our teachers. Lila Watson, an indigenous
Australian activist, once said, “If you have come here to help
me, then you are wasting your time…But if you have come because
your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work
together.” Thus, when everyone’s basic needs are met and all are
given an opportunity to thrive, together we flourish.
Four-Year Program
With the goal of becoming lifelong “Men for and with Others,” we
require service all four years at Jesuit. The Freshman,
Sophomore, and Junior Service Programs require students to
complete a minimum16 hours of service. The Freshman integrate
their 16 hours of service into their Global Studies course over
the course of the entire year. Sophomores incorporate their
service hours the semester they take Old Testament. Juniors blend
their service commitment with the semester they take Social
Justice. Additionally, oral and written reflections are
integrated into the courses of study mentioned as part of their
course grade. Service orientations conducted by the Christian
Service Department occur in class at the beginning of each
semester to direct the students in their service projects.
Seniors may elect to take Christian Service during the summer
prior to their senior year. Summer options for seniors include
immersions, summer camps, independent studies, or a 4-week summer
school course. Seniors who do not fulfill their service project
over the summer take a semester long course either in the fall or
spring of their senior year. Seniors complete 50 hours of
service.
Over the years it has been a true privilege to witness our
students maturing in service. Compassion, humility, gratitude,
and generosity cannot help but exude from one’s Spirit when we
are serving God’s people. Join us in our commitment to
serve!
The theme of Freshman Service is “Family.” In their Global
Studies classes students reflect on the nature of family and
their own role within their families. Over the course of the year
students are required to complete sixteen hours of service, and
are encouraged to do many of those hours with family members -
parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts or uncles.
Global Studies instructors facilitate students’ projects and
reflection; they also establish due dates for service
assignments. A directory of opportunities is given to the
students in class and is available on the Christian Service
website; additionally, new opportunities are posted in
classrooms, in the service office and online. Students cannot
earn a grade in Global Studies without completing their Christian
Service requirement.
Where: Forty-six schools from south Sac to
Natomas, downtown Sac to
Antelope and Citrus Heights. Check out the map in Christian
Service
and on the board outside Campus Ministry.
When: Programs start in September -
contact them now.
What: The START after school programs
offers after-school
tutoring,
supervised by recent college grads. Materials & activities
provided.
When: Sundays, beginning September
11. Times vary, based on level
Where: Tetotom Park in Antelope (2127
Heartland Drive)
What: Play soccer with
special needs children and teens. No special
skills required….except being ready for a fun-filled morning!
To sign up: www.accessleisuresac.org (scroll down to “Challenge
Sports”)
More info and to confirm dates & times:
Call the Challenge Soccer Hotline @ (916)554-0889 core hours
The theme of sophomore service is “Friends,” an especially
important theme at this time in students’ development, as they
are being given more social responsibility and independence.
Students are encouraged to meet their service requirement with
other Jesuit sophomores taking Theology 2B. At least three hours
(“core hours”) must be direct service with a marginalized
community, e.g., the homeless or developmentally disabled. The
Christian Service office sponsors monthly projects for groups of
sophomores at Wellspring Women’s Center, Maryhouse Day Shelter
for Women, and Mustard Seed School for homeless children.
Transportation to two Catholic elementary schools is provided
eight weeks each semester for sophomores who wish to tutor
children after school.
Sophomores write a reflection essay at the end of their semester
in Theology 2B. The program is facilitated through the sophomore
Theology curriculum, and the theme is supported by the Sophomore
Retreat Program. A directory of ongoing service opportunities is
given to the students in class and is available on the Christian
Service website; additionally, new service opportunities are
posted in classrooms, the service office, and online.
What: This program, offered by Camp ReCreation,
serves individuals with
various disabilities. Volunteers are assigned a buddy for
bowling and
other activities. Many Jesuit seniors and alumni work at Camp Rec
as
counselors in the summer. This is a chance to see if it’s a good
fit for
you. Get a friend and go together!
Where: Country Club Lanes, 2600 Watt Ave (@ El
Camino), Sacramento
What: Mercy McMahon is an assisted
living residence at which many
Jesuit students have served. Volunteers will assist the
Activities
Director with setting up seasonal decorations and meet some of
the
residents. You may work one or both shifts.
Register: Call Ms. Kathleen Baldwin at (916)733-6510 core hours
The theme of the Junior Service Project is “Service Through
Direct Involvement.” By now, students have examined their
personal responsibility within familial and social relationships
and are ready to make a more significant contribution to the
larger community. Juniors are required to complete 16 hours of
Service at non-profit agencies that serve people who are in some
way challenged, i.e., physically, developmentally, economically
or academically. Social Justice instructors facilitate students’
projects and reflection. Students cannot earn a grade in Social
Justice without completing their Christian Service requirement.
It is during the junior year that students have the opportunity
to participate in the Overnight Immersion “Plunge” at Loaves
& Fishes, a 24-hour immersion experience designed to give
students an opportunity to experience poverty “from the inside.”
There is an application process for this experience.
The senior year is a continuation of what was begun during the
junior year. Seniors are required for graduation to enroll in a
course called, “Christian Service.” They attend orientation
sessions the first week of school and complete 50 hours of
Service at non-profit agencies that serve people who are in some
way challenged, i.e., physically, developmentally, economically
or academically. Their reflection is facilitated by faculty
member in monthly reflection groups.
Seniors have the option of fulfilling their Service requirement
the summer before senior year by enrolling in a school-sponsored
program. These include: a 4-week summer school Christian Service
class where 50 hours of service are completed locally; foreign
immersion trips; volunteering as counselors at summer camps for
the handicapped and at-risk youth. There is an application
process for summer opportunities.
In addition to the service immersion programs that are taking
place this summer, there are many other great opportunities for
our seniors to fulfill their 50-hour senior service requirement
such as the senior summer school class and host of summer camps.
For each our of summer programs we require “direct contact with a
marginalized community” while also providing a reflection
component that allows our students to sink deeper into why
service is important, how their faith can be strengthened and
once more live into being “A Man for Others.” Please check-out
the following links to see what over 150 of our seniors are up to
this summer.
Faculty & Staff Intranet Login
Faculty & Staff Email Login