Faith Formation

This section details information from our Office of Mission and Ministry regarding Ignatian Spirituality (Masses, Retreats, etc.) and Ignatian Service (service hours, opportunities to serve, both in person and virtually, etc.).

A. Ignatian Spirituality

Ignatian education is rooted in the principle of cura personalis, care of the whole person. St. Joseph’s Prep is committed to the intellectual, physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual well-being and growth of each member of our community. Our spiritual formation programs constitute an essential foundation of our identity as a Catholic, Ignatian school. During in-person, hybrid, or remote learning settings, faculty and staff colleagues will continue to focus their efforts on the holistic formation and growth of our students, keeping the health and safety of our community foremost in our work. We will not be able to offer overnight retreats in the manner done previously or school-wide Liturgies. However, in each of these educational settings, we will continue to provide and support experiences of liturgy and prayer, faith-sharing and community-building, service and justice, as the relevant public health guidelines allow, guiding our students to live their lives with depth of faith and compassion. Our Jesuit Mission calls us to “respond courageously to the opportunities and challenges of our time.” The current pandemic presents us with unprecedented realities, as well as opportunities for creative growth and generosity.

Following up on our positive formational experience of the school-year 2019-20, The Year of the Examen, each Wednesday, a recorded Examen created by one of our seniors will be sent through the principal's update, the morning announcements, and on social media. These Examens will be tied into our shared journey through the Year of Solidarity in line with the Universal Apostolic Preference to Walk with the Excluded. We encourage everyone to take a few moments to pray this Examen either during lunch or at the end of the school day. We also invite teachers to utilize this resource as a way to incorporate the Year of Solidarity into their classes.

Freshman Retreat will be offered on Friday, September 4. Students will stay in their small groups for the entirety of the retreat day. Adult leaders will lead various activities with them throughout the day on a rotating schedule. Those activities include but are not limited to the following: Intro to St. Ignatius/Ignatian Spirituality; Intro to Service/MobileServe; Quiet prayer and the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the Gesu Church; Intro to Diversity and Inclusion and the Year of Solidarity; games/team building, etc.. The day and the activities will be guided by the student members of the Leadership Board and Peer Ministers. If the retreat must be conducted virtually, these activities can take place in some form online via Zoom or Google Meet. The Mission and Ministry Team will pre-record presentations and have adults/student leaders facilitate discussion.

The Sophomore Retreat and Senior Retreat are not presently scheduled until the months of February and May. The Mission and Ministry Team together with school officials will reevaluate as the year progresses and hopefully hold those as planned.

Based on internal and external consultation, the Prep’s early Kairos Retreats (October and November) seem feasible if held with a minimal group (no more than 20-25 students, 4 student and adult leaders). The decision may be made to cut the retreat to 3 days, two nights. A thorough health screening for retreatants and leaders will be imperative prior to leaving for retreat. Masks and social distancing will be in effect through the transportation and the course of the retreat. The Jesuit Retreat Center at Wernersville will be able to make these accommodations and work with us in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ignatian Engagement Committee (IEC) will hold Colleague Examen Cohort meetings either in person or via Zoom throughout the year in conjunction with the professional development sessions run by the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office. Student Advisory lesson plans will also be created for student development along with weekly shared Examen prayers. Initial conversations with the Mothers’ and Fathers’ Clubs have also taken place to respond to their Ignatian formation program.

Liturgies will either be celebrated for each class quarterly or recorded and streamed for those not in attendance. It would seem appropriate not to hold school wide Liturgies for holy days of obligation, provided a dispensation is given by the Archbishop; however, we could at least provide Masses for students a few times per semester in some capacity if students are present in the building. The Gesu Church is large enough to allow for proper social distancing for one class year. Details will follow as the year progresses.

B. Ignatian Service

The summer has provided St. Joseph’s Prep a chance to visit the agencies we support and serve in addition to reviewing their individual protocols for prioritizing safety for volunteers and those being served. We have identified various ways for our students and families to continue serving local, national, and international agencies. The Ignatian Service Office will communicate these opportunities during the back-to-school meetings as is customary every year. For the time being, all community service graduation requirements are paused. We encourage students and families to continue engaging in community service as they can safely do (remote, in person, digital advocacy, etc). All requirements and deadlines will be adjusted to align with the current public health context.

The COVID-19 context presents a tremendous challenge for our school to balance our mission of providing a rigorous, Catholic, Jesuit education with the health and safety recommendations of leading healthcare experts. These challenges demand courageous humility. The following principles were developed by the Mission and Ministry:

Remain rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our mission, and the best scientific research available.
Address the health and safety needs of our students, faculty and staff, particularly those most vulnerable.
Provide an excellent, holistic, rigorous, Catholic, Jesuit education - “This is a different way of doing school, but our shared mission remains the same.”
Promote innovation, collaboration, and experimentation.
Empower others to lead.
Develop a culture of connectivity and encounter.
Ensure academic integrity and accountability.
Build resilience, flexibility, and adaptability.
Pursue financial stewardship and sustainability.

Given the Prep’s hybrid model, the Mission and Ministry office will continue working hard to provide our students with meaningful service experiences that will help them to see the face of Christ in themselves and in those whom they serve. There is a great deal of service to be done in the Philadelphia area, and our goal is to encourage our community to press forward safely for the good of others in these trying times.

Service Opportunities for Staff and Students

Virtual/online opportunities to volunteer
a)      Tutoring school-aged children
i.Gesu School
ii.Philadelphia School District
iii.Lindley Academy
iv.Mastery Charter Schools
b)      Reading club with school-aged children
c)      Senior citizen assistance and maintaining connections
d)     Nursing home letter-writing
e)      Prep talent sharing: Prep students share, teach, model their gifts and abilities to younger children, (Art, Technology, Music, Carpentry, Athletics, etc.)
In-person service opportunities with local organizations will be available.
- Listed below are the organizations where St. Joe’s Prep students will have opportunities to volunteer on-site while practicing social distance guidelines.
  - New Options More Opportunities
  - Philadelphia Anti-Drug Anti-Violence Network
  - Caring for Friends
  - Oak Street Health
  - Grands as Parents
  - Everything Must Change
  - Senator Shareef Street
  - Councilman Malcom Kennyatta
  - State Rep Joanna McClinton
  - **Additional Organizations TBA
Community relief events will be held on-site to serve surrounding communities.
a) Prep food giveaway conducted by students, staff, and parents
- Bi-weekly initiative
- Serving North Philadelphia families
- Serving capacity for approximately 200 people
b) Prep toiletry giveaway
- Items donated by Prep families
- Students prepare special care packages for homeless shelters
c) Prep school supply giveaway
- Items donated by Prep families
- Prep students prepare backpacks to give to school-aged children
Prep Serving Prep Opportunities

Prep students volunteer their time to offer childcare to Prep families, friends, and neighbors if school is closed.
The Office of Ignatian Service will provide a list of students who will volunteer.
Prep Family Project: The Prep student arranges for his family to provide an act of service from the heart, which will be shared with the community and posted on IS social media.
Declutter and Donate: A Prep student cleans up personal and family space and donates unwanted items to a charity of his choice.

Two of our greatest strengths at the Prep are our community and adaptability. Being together is an invaluable part of the Jesuit high-school experience. We insist on maintaining that continuity of community during these difficult times, and it is our expectation to be in regular communication with our students, families, colleagues and friends of the Prep. In the days ahead, we will continue to discern our options for providing a well-rounded, rich student experience. We remain optimistic as we move forward with a desire to get students back on campus as soon and as safely as possible.

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