Faith Formation Plan May, 2010

Transcription

1 Faith Formation Plan May, 2010

2 St. Dominic School Mission Statement We, the Catholic community of St. Dominic, work cooperatively with parents to educate the whole child within our Catholic faith and tradition. We lay the foundation for future learning and for the child's role as a responsible Catholic citizen. Message: To promote an active response to the Gospel messages in everyday life through our examples, attitudes and interactions with others. Community: To encourage the students and families to promote an atmosphere of caring and respect where Catholic values are demonstrated. Worship: To encourage students and families to be an active part of the worshiping community by supporting their sacramental, liturgical, and prayer life. Service: To understand and act upon the responsibility we have to serve others. Academic: To instill a desire for lifelong intellectual and spiritual learning. 2

3 Table of Contents History of St. Dominic School Our Vision Statement Calendar of Events Developing Intellectual Formation Developing Human Formation Developing Pastoral Formation Developing Spiritual Formation Faith Formation Team 3

4 History In 1842, Irish Catholics in the Townships of Brookfield and Menomonee first gathered at small log cabins on the Brogan farm in Templeton (now Lannon) and the Clarey farm on West Capitol Drive in Brookfield to celebrate the Eucharist. In that same year, Reverend Martin Kundig, the first missionary priest to Milwaukee, identified St. Dominic as a 20 family enclave in the Town of Marcy. From these humble gatherings, St. Dominic was founded as a pioneering mission of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Milwaukee. The original lannon-stone Church building, dedicated to St. Dominic was located on a site at West Lisbon and Marcy Roads in what was then the Town of Marcy. At about the same time, a small stone Church was built in Lannon and dedicated to St. James. It is arguable which church was built first, but it is indisputable that the congregations sprung up from the same roots. The original lannon-stone Church was a small frame building seating about 200 worshipers and was affectionately known by the locals and the Church members as the "Marcy Church." Some records indicate that this was the first Catholic Church in Waukesha County. Since the population was such that St. Dominic was held to its mission status, the care of the mission community was transferred twice during the early years, from St. John's Cathedral to St. James in Lannon and then to St. Agnes in Butler. urch 4

5 After World War II, a steady migration of people moved from the City of Milwaukee to Marcy Church Brogan's Log Cabin Site of first Catholic Mass in Waukesha County the suburbs of Brookfield, Menomonee Falls and Pewaukee. The little community at the "Marcy Church" was feeling the changes in the neighborhood and so the church appealed to the Archdiocese to be made a parish in its own right. Archbishop Albert G. Meyer granted their request and established St. Dominic as a parish on June 26, 1956 to serve Catholics in the Brookfield and Menomonee Falls areas. The Archbishop named the Reverend Edward M. Grohall as the parish's first pastor. The new parish boundaries were set by the Archdiocese: Silver Spring Drive to the north, Burleigh Road on the south, Pilgrim Road to the East and Barker Road on the west, and St. Dominic Parish was born. The fledgling community purchased the William J. Leonard farm and the adjacent property on West Capitol Drive and the current Imperial Drive. The congregation which, at the time, included 150 families, met on October 16, 1956 at the Schroeder Hotel to begin the process of building their new home. Leonard Farm It was a time of rejoicing when on July 27, 1958, 150 parishioners gathered to participate in a groundbreaking ceremony for our first Church and a new school. After more than a year under construction, the cornerstones were set in place in a ceremony on August 18, 1959 by Reverend Monsignor Edmund Goebel, director of schools for the Archdiocese at the time. Designed as a contemporary ranchstyle structure with an interior of block and redwood, the new church, seating 550, was built with future expansion in mind. On November 8, 1959, Archbishop William E. Cousins celebrated Mass to dedicate the new church and school. St. Dominic Church and School 5

6 With the help of the Sisters of Notre Dame, St. Dominic School opened in 1959 with eight grades, eight classrooms, a library and 258 students. By 1961 the school was so crowded that it had become necessary to hold two separate daily class sessions with the grades coming in different shifts from 8:00a.m. until 4:30p.m. Due to the desperate need for additional school classrooms and office space, a split-level north-south wing was added to the school in On May 20, 1962, Archbishop Cousins dedicated the new school wing and officiated at the Confirmation of 175 students on the same day. A year later, the school enrollment had risen to 577 students. St. Dominic Church, dedicated in 1981 Since it was founded in 1959 St. Dominic School has evolved to meet the needs of the community. In addition to the original eight grades the school now includes K5, K4, K3, and Extended Care. St. Dominic School draws from more than four surrounding school districts with a current enrollment of 470 students. 6

7 Vision Statement To Seek Christ, Know Christ and Become Christ, each one for the sake of all, so that we as a faculty can: Actively celebrate in liturgy, the Word of God, prayer and the Sacraments Extend ourselves in hospitality and evangelization to one another, our students, and their families Serve human concerns of persons within and outside our parish/school family Offer opportunities for lifelong faith formation and ongoing conversion 7

8 Calendar of Events May 2010 Faculty Faith Formation Meeting: The Faith Formation Team will share the purpose, process, and personal experience of the Cardinal Stritch Adult Faith Formation Program. Explanation of how our Faith Formation plan will be implemented. Faculty members will share in a prayer experience that will allow for individual reflection on adult faith formation and participation in a short survey. August 2010 Faculty Retreat, The Experience of Prayer, to be held on scenic Big Cedar Lake. September 2010 Kindergarten teachers will be the Prayer Leaders for the First Thursday Faculty Formation Session: Top 10 Things Every Catholic Should Know. October 2010 First grade teachers will be the Prayer Leaders for the First Thursday Faculty Meeting. 8

9 Faculty Formation Session: Building Community Through Service November 2010 Second grade teachers will be the Prayer Leaders for the First Thursday Faculty Formation Session: All Saints and All Souls Prayer Service December 2010 Third grade teachers will be the Prayer Leaders for the First Thursday Faculty Formation Session: An Advent Story, followed by food and fellowship January 2011 Fourth grade teachers will be the Prayer Leaders for the First Thursday Faculty Formation Session: The Sacraments February 2011 Fifth grade teachers will be the Prayer Leaders for the First Thursday Faculty Formation Session: Scripture 9

10 March 2011 Sixth grade teachers will be the Prayer Leaders for the First Thursday Faculty Formation Session: Lent April 2011 Seventh grade teachers will be the Prayer Leaders for the First Thursday Faculty Formation Session: Mary s Way of the Cross May 2011 Eighth grade teachers will be the Prayer Leaders for the First Thursday Faculty Formation Session: Sent Forth with the Holy Spirit June 2011 Last day of school: Year End Prayer Service, lead by the Faith Formation Team 10

11 Components of Faith Formation Intellectual Formation To understand and appreciate the Catholic faith, intellectual formation is an important component of our adult formation plan. We will begin the year with a retreat day that will focus on prayer. This will include information about the prayer tradition of the Church and an explanation of the various forms of prayer. In September we will have a presentation entitled The Top 10 Things Every Catholic Should Know. This will be a broad overview of essential doctrine in the major theological areas. The liturgical year will be emphasized with presentations during the advent, lent, and the Easter seasons. There will also be two classes one an overview of Scripture and the other an overview of Sacraments which will provide background in these two foundational areas. Human Formation To foster an environment where people can be healthy, well-balanced, and happy, human formation will be an important part of the upcoming year. Chances to share food and fun will be built into most sessions. All sessions will occur during already scheduled in-service days and early release time, so that no additional demands will be made on already busy schedules. Time for icebreakers, prayer, reflection, sharing, and learning will be provided within each session. Hopefully this variety of experiences will provide at least something that will engage, interest, and help everyone. 11

12 Pastoral Formation To more effectively function in the school/ministry setting pastoral formation is a significant part of our overall plan. During our retreat and during other gatherings different prayer experiences will be an integral part of the process. This will give teachers exposure to a variety of styles, which they can then try using in the classroom. Partnered or small group reflection will also be incorporated to develop both community and communication. Small groups of teachers will be asked to lead prayer at the monthly faculty meeting. A faculty service project is planned to help to build a sense of community and mission. Spiritual Formation The essential aspect of our faith formation plan is spiritual formation. Providing the opportunity for on-going conversion will be the thread that weaves throughout our plan. Beginning with our retreat, prayer will be emphasized as one of the key ways we connect with God. Prayer and reflection will continue throughout the year with daily all-school prayer and weekly mailbox reflection. There will be special faculty prayer services for All Saints/All Souls, Advent, and Lent. The faculty will also gather together to pray the Stations of the Cross. Scripture reflection and small group faith sharing will also be included in most of our activities and meetings. 12

13 St. Dominic School Faith Formation Team Mr. John Chovanec, Principal Ms. Kris Seifert, Teacher Mrs. Ann Grunwaldt, Teacher 13