To renew Holy Trinity School, we need a renewed vision. Below is a draft of an overall/faith vision for the school; other aspects of the vision are also being developed and will be shared with you as we progress.

OVERALL/FAITH VISION

A Family of Families

When parents spoke about the strengths of Holy Trinity school, they frequently said it felt like family.  That is revealing and conveys so much.  It suggests a sense of belonging, mutual love, commitment, interdependence, challenge, and growth.  How can Holy Trinity build on this?  We need to ask, “what is the relation between the Church and the family?”

Pope Francis put it succinctly as follows: “The Church is a family of families, constantly enriched by the lives of all those domestic churches.”  (Amoris Laetitia 87) The domestic church was a key concept of the Second Vatican Council.  “In what might be regarded as the domestic church, the parents, by word and example, are the first heralds of faith with regard to their children.” (Lumen Gentium 11) The family is meant by God to be the first school of the Gospel. 

The ultimate model for the family is the Holy Trinity.  The revelation that God is not a solitary being has tremendous implications for our understanding of family life.  Pope St. John Paul II taught, “In the light of the New Testament it is possible to discern how the primordial model of the family is to be sought in God himself, in the Trinitarian mystery of his life. The divine ‘We’ is the eternal pattern of the human ‘we’, especially of that ‘we’ formed by the man and the woman created in the divine image and likeness.” (Gratissimam Sane 3) Marital and familial love comes from and finds its fulfillment in the Holy Trinity, a life-giving communion of love.   

Church teaching recognizes parents as the primary educators of their children.  “This role in education is so important that only with difficulty can it be supplied where it is lacking.  Parents are the ones who must create a family atmosphere animated by love and respect for God and man, in which the well-rounded personal and social education of children is fostered.” (Gravissimum Educationis 3)

The Church is mother and teacher to all, “because she has the responsibility of announcing the way of salvation to all men, of communicating the life of Christ to those who believe…and, assisting men to be able to come to the fullness of life.  The Church is bound as a mother to give these children of hers an education by which their whole life can be imbued by the spirit of Christ and at the same time do all she can to promote for all peoples the complete perfection of the human person, the good of earthly society and the building of a world that is more human.” (GE 3)

The school exists to support the mission of parents and the Church, to “create for the school community a special atmosphere animated by the Gospel spirit of freedom and charity, to help youth grow according to the new creatures they were made through baptism as they develop their own personalities, and finally to order the whole of human culture to the news of salvation so that the knowledge the students gradually acquire of the world, life and man is illumined by faith.” (GE 8)

Rather than think primarily in terms of forming individual students for success, however broadly defined, we must think of ourselves as ministering to families, helping parents to fulfill the mission God has entrusted to them in giving them their children.  Holy Trinity School ministers to families.

J24 Families

What makes for a flourishing Catholic family?  Years ago, I tried to discover instructive commonalities by prayerfully reflecting on the healthiest and most faithful families I knew.  What I observed corresponded to the best research.  I distilled it into five principles with related practices.  The name J24 comes from the 24th chapter of the Book of Joshua. Before the nation of Israel enters the Promised Land, the Lord asks the people to make a clear choice, to serve the Lord God wholeheartedly, or to serve other gods. Joshua announces the choice of his family by declaring, “As for me and my household, we shall serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

Holy Trinity School will encourage and support families to live out the J24 principles and practices. 

I.  WE PUT GOD FIRST.  (1) We attend Mass faithfully on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, and we commemorate other important days on the Church’s calendar.  (2) We pray together each day.  (3) We learn the stories of our faith from the Bible and the lives of the saints and understand our family story as a continuation of these.  (4) We serve the less fortunate. 

II.  WE REJECT FALSE GODS.  (1) We do not allow work, school, hobbies, or extracurricular activities to take control of our lives and negatively affect our relationship with God and members of our family.    (2) Children under 16 in our household do not have smart phones or tablets of their own with internet access, and their use of internet within the home is filtered and monitored.  (3) All members of our family moderate their use of technology/media/entertainment.   

 III.   WE SPEND TIME TOGETHER.  (1) We share a meal on most days and share about our lives in conversation.  (2) We share responsibility for household duties.  Everybody contributes according to their ability and without complaining. (3) We have fun together, enjoying nature, games, and the arts. 

 IV.   WE USE WORDS TO BUILD UP ONE ANOTHER.  (1) We always tell each other the truth.  (2) We keep our word the best we can when we say we will do something.  (3) We give compliments to each other and often say “please,” “sorry,” “thank you,” and “I forgive you.” (4) We give corrections and disagree without attacking the other person’s dignity. 

V.    WE ALLY WITH LIKE-MINDED FAMILIES.  (1) We cultivate relationships with other families who share our values.  (2) We try to be a good influence on others by helping them get closer to God and live virtuously.  (3) When social relationships consistently lead us away from God, we reduce or eliminate the time and attention given to those relationships.  

Evangelization of Staff and Families

In 2012, Sherry Weddel released a book entitled Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus.  She made a persuasive case, using data, that most “practicing Catholics”—even many who work for the Church—are not intentional disciples.  They may participate in the sacraments and follow rules out of habit or cultural identity, but they lack a personal relationship with God.  Anyone with experience in Catholic ministry can attest to the truth of this problem.

Weddel noted that one way many Catholics became intentional disciples was through Evangelization Retreats.  After studying various retreat models, I developed something known as The Good Life Mini Retreat.  Over several years, nearly 1,000 people have attended the retreat.  Surveys, and my own familiarity with their lives before and after the retreat, have shown that the retreat has had hugely positive, life-changing effects for almost everyone who has participated. 

Holy Trinity School and parish will offer the mini retreat often, with the goal of having all staff and parents attend one Good Life by the end of their first year.  (This will count towards the service hour requirement).  The retreat is less than 10-hours long and is usually given over the course of one evening and then the following day, but this format can be adapted. 

Habits of Missionary Disciples

People who experience the love of God in Christ often experience peace, joy, and other spiritual emotions that are like a strong wind at their back in their initial or deepening conversion.  However, they will invariably go through difficult times that challenge their faith and draw them back into worldly ways of thinking, feeling, and acting.  Christians who remain steadfast on the path of Christ, faithful through the ups and downs, develop what I call the habits of missionary disciples, which are: (1) daily prayer, (2) fruitful reception of the Sacraments, (3) ongoing study, (4) fasting/self-denial, (5) intentional virtue growth, (6) fellowship, (7) generous sharing of time, talent, and treasure, and (8) evangelization.

Holy Trinity School will form parents, students, and staff in the habits of missionary disciples.   

End of School Day Examen

St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, is one of the great spiritual teachers in world history.  He developed concrete, practical ways, to help people discern the guidance, presence, and action of God in their lives.  The examen is a prayer of reviewing a period of time and noticing the blessings and challenges and giving thanks and asking for help. 

The prayer takes 7-10 minutes.  It would be led by teachers at the end of the school day, as a prayerful review of the day.  Each child (above a certain age) will be given an Examen Journal to write down some of what they noticed.  They may wish to share a highlight of the day from the journal at the family dinner.   

ACADEMIC/CIRRICULAR VISION

• To be developed by principal and key team members.  

COMMUNITY AND ENRICHMENT VISION

• To be developed by principal and key team members.  Includes all social events as well as sports and any other extracurricular activities.