Faith
Faith statement…
The ICCP theology department is implementing community-based service learning within the curriculum at each grade level. Community-based service learning is not synonymous with volunteerism or community service though both volunteerism and community service are important components of our call to charity/love as Christians.
By establishing partnerships between their classrooms and the community, students will be challenged through scripture, theory, method, concept, and assignments with varied service experiences. Some examples of these experiences are direct service, project-based service, community-based research, and advocacy. It is our hope that through these experiences students learn how to become agents of transformative action to assist in liberating communities or individuals of communities from whatever oppression they may be facing.
It is our hope that these experiences, through community-based service learning, provide our students an opportunity of conversion and that conversion leads to their participation in the direct service opportunities that the Theology Department offers throughout the course of the academic year. We are in partnership with organizations like soup kitchens, food pantries, work with adults with special needs, nursing homes, and many more with the goal of rooting our IC Catholic Prep students in authentic service leadership that leads to transformative action.
Freshmen Year – One Day In-House Retreat
First year students will reflect on what gifts they bring to IC Catholic Prep to be a light for our community. First year students will be divided into small groups and led through various activities by Peer Ministers to truly reflect on what their gifts are.
Sophomore Retreat – One Day In-House Retreat
The retreat focuses on the gifts that students discovered during their freshman retreat and how they are being called to put those gifts into transformative action as disciples of Christ through leadership.
Students will be divided into small groups and led through various activities by Peer Ministers to truly reflect on how they are called to discipleship by using their gifts to help others.
Junior Year – Two Day/One Overnight Retreat
The students experience this retreat at LaSalle Manor in Plano. They spend time in small group, large group, and in quiet alone time. The retreat helps students to get to know their classmates on a more personal level to create an atmosphere of togetherness.
Senior Year – Kairos Retreat
Kairos means God’s time. Kairos is a religious retreat program grounded in Christian incarnational and sacramental theology. It is a three-and-a-half-day retreat for seniors, experienced at the Carmelite Spiritual Center in Darien. The retreat focuses on where one is in relation to God, others and self. The candidates live the experience of a Christian community to help them appreciate and value themselves as a young Christian adult. Along with this comes appreciation of those particular people (parents, relatives, friends) who make life meaningful.
Liturgical ministry involves the participation in and planning of the all-school masses, all- school prayers services, and smaller community prayer services. Students are trained as lectors, sacristans, altar servers, hospitality ministers, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, along with cantors and musicians. They participate in those ministries throughout the year.
