Campus Ministry

The Campus Ministry Department at Saint Thomas Academy collaborates with the Theology Department and Administration to facilitate the spiritual growth of all cadets.  Campus Ministry organizes retreats, coordinates school liturgies and prayer, and coordinates all community outreach efforts.  Each year our outreach efforts are in collaboration with local non-profits and directed to the poor, the vulnerable, the “at-risk”, the immigrant, and all those who live on the margins of society.  Campus Ministry leads students to actively embrace prayer, reflection, and service in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul. 

Service Learning Program

Each year, Saint Thomas Academy students complete service hours each year to those in need.  For seniors, they are asked to complete forty service hours.  The Service Learning Team offers guidance and suggestions for service, in addition to organizing diverse opportunities for students to serve at local non-profit agencies.  Saint Thomas Academy students serve at organizations such as Bridging, Vacation Bible School, Summer Stretch, Feed My Starving Children and Little Sisters of the Poor.

Saint Thomas Academy seeks to empower students by encouraging them to become servant-leaders who respect others and work for justice and peace.  Since this dimension of a student’s development is an integral part of its mission, the Academy has a graduation requirement of forty service hours, which are completed outside of school, along with reflection and social analysis, which are incorporated into the optional senior Theology Social Justice course.

These forty hours complement a two-week “Senior Project”, which is completed during the last two weeks of the school year, where students are mentored in their responsibilities within one of thirty educational, health or social service agency.

Retreats

Each class year has a retreat designed to enrich their personal and spiritual growth.  With the help of our chaplain, theology department, Peer Mentor group and student campus ministers, cadets are encouraged to develop meaningful, spiritual experiences that not only develop their relationships with God but allow them to grow closer to their cadet brothers in a spiritual way.

Freshmen and seniors attend overnight retreats.  For freshmen, this is their first opportunity to spend meaningful time with their future cadet brothers. Then, for seniors their retreat experience allows for them to reflect on their time at the Academy.  These retreats are an opportunity to reflect on experiences and deepen friendships in order to ensure the bonds will last a lifetime.  Retreats include mass, a series of talks, small group discussions, reconciliation, reflection time and fun bond building activities.