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Mission & Ministry
As a Catholic School, faith in God is at the heart of the Patriot experience. We instill in our students a love for God and neighbor and help each member of our community realize the dignity within themselves and each other.
A foundational Truth of our faith is the belief that human beings are created in the image and likeness of God, Imago Dei, who is a communion of persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). We are created out of love to be loved and experience love. As such, the Office of Mission & Ministry works in collaboration with all members of our Patriot community to uplift the dignity of each human person and build the Kingdom of God.
All Patriots are servant leaders at heart
That is why we promise every student and family that we will provide a Catholic foundation of values, challenging academics and real-life experiences so that our students will attain their highest potential.
Our dedicated faculty and staff not only teach school subjects, but model and prepare students to positively influence a global society while being socially responsible, spiritually centered and morally grounded in our Catholic beliefs.
We are supported by our Campus Ministry team who facilitate:
- A robust four-year retreat program that enables our students to share and reflect upon how God is actively working in their lives.
- Regular prayer and liturgy during which our students experience God through His life-giving Word and Sacrament.
- A Peer Ministry Program that discerns the leadership potential in our amazing students and cultivates faith-filled leaders in our school and community.
- Service-learning opportunities that instill a spirit of service to others, especially the poor and vulnerable, and cultivate moral courage in each of our students.
- Local, national and international service immersion opportunities which form students in the principle of Solidarity and foster transformation.
- Small and large group faith-sharing opportunities where students and faculty/staff can grow deeper in their faith through accompaniment.
- Collaboration with regional Catholic Parishes and the Archdiocese of Baltimore to promote the educational mission of the Catholic Church.
Opportunities to reflect and pray
Our four-year retreat program offers all students an opportunity to reflect and pray on their spiritual and moral development as Patriots. These yearly retreats are a graduation requirement.
Freshman Retreat
The Freshman Retreat is our introduction to what it means to be a Patriot! Held after the first two weeks of school, Freshmen explore the past and present of John Carroll history to understand the start of their own journey. During this day-long retreat, Freshmen learn about the history of our namesake, Archbishop John Carroll, by visiting his final resting place at the Baltimore Basilica, developing new friendships and exploring ways to use their God-given gifts and talents in service of our John Carroll, local and global communities.
Sophomore Retreat
This day-long, service-learning retreat provides members of our sophomore class an opportunity to better understand why serving others is such an essential element of being a Patriot. In small groups of students, our young people serve adults with developmental disabilities through Beyond Capernaum, the Special Needs/Disability Ministry of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Bel Air, MD.
Junior Retreat
The Junior Retreat is a long-standing tradition at John Carroll. Since the early 1970s, it has been our tradition to take the members of our Junior class to the Msgr. O’ Dwyer Retreat House for an overnight retreat experience. This retreat, led by Senior Peer Ministers, challenges Juniors to take a closer look at who they are, where they are going and where God might be calling them at this stage in their lives.
Senior Retreat
The Senior Retreat is considered the capstone retreat experience at John Carroll. Led by a dedicated team of our faculty and staff, this overnight retreat experience is designed to help our seniors reflect on their life journey and give thanks for those who have been companions on their life’s journey thus far. Senior Retreat is currently held at Sandy Cove Ministries in North East, MD.
Peer Ministry Program
In the Gospels, Jesus sent out his disciples two-by-two to announce the Kingdom of God. The biblical spirit of accompaniment is the foundation of our Peer Ministry Program. Peer Ministers are a group of highly motivated and faith-filled student leaders who want to serve their school community and promote the Catholic mission of our school. Peers balance a multitude of rigorous academic classes and co-curricular activities.
This student leadership team is open to Juniors and Seniors. Applications open in the spring of each year and students are selected to serve throughout the following school year. Students work directly with the Director of Mission & Ministry to plan and run various events and programs throughout the year.
- Peer Ministers for Class Retreats may attend Sophomore and/or Junior Retreats as a Junior or Senior Peer Leader to lead activities such as prayer services, facilitate small groups, warmers/icebreakers, give witness talks, etc.
- Peer Ministers/Small Group Leaders for Campus Ministry Programs may take part in Freshman Orientation Days, Lenten small faith sharing groups, etc.
Prayer is the raising of one’s heart and mind to God...
As a faith community, we contemplate the presence of God in our lives throughout the day and express our relationship with God through various forms of prayer. Every morning before the first class and every afternoon at the end of our academic day, the John Carroll community pauses and reflects in prayer.
As part of our commitment to prepare students to be spiritually centered and morally grounded, the Office of Mission & Ministry provides numerous opportunities to participate in liturgy and prayer
Opportunities for liturgy & prayer
- Daily Morning Prayer
- Weekly Mass
- School-wide Masses on Holy Days and special school occasions
- School-wide Prayer Services prior to Thanksgiving and during the holy seasons of Advent and Lent with the entire John Carroll community
- Athletics Prayer Services at the start of athletic season together with a blessing from a local priest
- Rosary & Chaplet of the Divine Mercy offered at various times throughout the year in the St. Jude Chapel
- Sacrament of Reconciliation, individual confessions are offered during the holy season of Lent
Book of Remembrance & All Souls Memorial
Please submit the names of family, friends and loved ones who have passed away. These names will be included in Book of Remembrance, which is displayed in the St. Jude Chapel at John Carroll during the month of November. If you have more than one name to submit, please submit a separate form for each. Please note, names remain in our Book of Remembrance year after year, and your loved one will continue to be included in our prayers.
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