Student Life

Through the Peer Counseling Program, selected seniors demonstrate leadership through service. They act as mentors to members of the freshman class as well as role models and guides to students of all levels. In both classroom discovery and interactions with other students, the Program seeks to form “servant-leaders”, deepening the bonds among us.

• School Prayer-Student lead prayer daily with the entire school daily. There is a prayer service in the St. Br. Andre Chapel each morning before our school day begins. The intentions of the book of intentions are remembered in the prayers as well as all the intentions of the ND community. Classes can organize prayer services for their specific classes and this is done several times throughout the year. The Chapel is opened throughout the day for private prayer and reflection and is a sacred space for students to build their personal relationship with God and increase their own individual spirituality.

• The St. Br. Andre committee is a committee of students that helps organize prayer and liturgies at Notre Dame.  The committee meets regularly and advises and organizes all aspects of spiritual life for our students and community.

• School liturgies are on all Roman Catholic Holy Days of Obligation and other important feasts of the Congregation of Holy Cross.  The entire school participates in the liturgies and they involve students in all parts of the mass.

• Prayer Services for Advent, Lent, and other Holidays are also organized for the entire school by Campus Ministry and the St. Br. Andre Committee.

• The Sacrament of Reconciliation is Celebrated in the School during Lent with a Reconciliation Service and several local priests that celebrate the sacrament with our students.

Embracing religious diversity on campus means accommodating the spiritual needs of all of our students. 

Our Interfaith space  brings together religiously diverse students and values the spiritual practices of our student population. The space can create an opportunity for students who do not identify with a particular tradition to find opportunities to gather and reflect. Opportunities for dialogue with Catholic priests and community religious leaders not of the Catholic tradition are available.

Before calling them to leave all things behind and follow Him, Jesus invited His disciples to “come and see.” He knew that if His disciples were going to be able to make this leap of faith, they needed to separate themselves from their daily routines. Only then could they come to know Him more and experience the life and mission to which He was calling them.

The words "Spes Unica" are borrowed from the motto of the Holy Cross Brothers who sponsor Notre Dame High School. The full motto is "Ave Crux, Spes Unica!" or "Hail the Cross, our Only Hope!" Thus, the retreat takes its direction from this motto.

The Spes Unica retreat offers all students the opportunity to step out of their daily routines in order to spend focused time in prayer and reflection with Our Lord. This weekend long retreat is offer twice yearly, Fall and Spring.  The retreat allows each student to experience the ND brotherhood and prayer in Holy Cross. Students  will also learn more about the Holy Cross mission and charism entrusted to them.

The Competence to See and Courage to Act as Men of Faith

The Notre Dame High School Community lives the Gospel call to serve through the vision of the founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau.  Moreau’s vision is summed up in these words regarding our students:

"We shall always place education side by side with instruction; the mind will not be cultivated at the expense of the heart."

–Moreau, Circular Letter 36, 1849

Therefore, the student, being educated in the tradition of the Congregation of Holy Cross, will find the challenge to growth directed toward both his mind and his heart.  Christian service is then an integral and necessary part of a Notre Dame education in the Holy Cross tradition. 

This year’s Service Program at Notre Dame High School was conceived in an effort to respond to the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. More importantly, it serves to fulfill our mandate as Holy Cross men of faith to have the competence to see and courage to act.

The mission is not simple, for the impoverishments we would relieve are not simple. There are networks of privilege, prejudice and power so commonplace that often neither oppressors nor victims are aware of them. We must be aware and also understanding by reason of fellowship with the impoverished and by reason of patient learning. For the kingdom to come in this world, disciples must have the competence to see and the courage to act.

Holy Cross Constitutions

Our service programs of the past placed a great deal of emphasis on the counting of hours in service to others.  As a Holy Cross community, we need to inspire each other to ask the question “how can we help” instead of “how many hours can I get”.  Faced with the challenge of a global pandemic and mandated social distancing guidelines, now more than ever our efforts are conversely limited and yet greatly needed.  

This program has been established to engage the student in intellectual curiosity, civic engagement, compassionate service, and thoughtful reflection.

The program is designed around six key components; Research, Inquiry, Engagement and Resilience, Creativity, Documentation, Reflection and Presentation. Each of these components can be found in detail on the Service Ministry Google Classroom Page. code: jj7zgqu.  A list of steps, student guide, and other resources are available here. 

Teacher guidance, progress, and reflection will all be an important part of our teacher advisory program throughout the 2020-2021 academic year. 

Freshmen will complete their service working together as a TA with their TA teacher and Senior Peer Counselors.

Sophomores and Juniors may choose to begin their service projects during the summer months, or begin them at the onset of the new school year.  

The Seniors service program is organized through the Social Studies Department. This program requires students to volunteer for a political campaign, of a candidate (local, state, or national) of his choice. As part of their service preparation and reflection, seniors research and reflect upon the teachings of the Catholic Church on critical political issues of the day.

In these service projects, the Notre Dame student encounters the living Christ and stands beside Him.  Indeed, they will have truly served Him.

Service Outreach

Holy Cross Texas Pilgrimage 

The word “pilgrimage” truly sums up the purpose of this journey.  On this one week experiential learning (NDXL) trip, students travel to the Lone Star State to meet Holy Cross family members in San Antonio and Austin, Texas with the purpose of learning and ministering beside them to serve our immigrant brothers and sisters seeking safety and compassion.  Our hope is to expand our horizons of understanding while growing in faith and understanding of our Holy cross Mission to make God known, loved and served. 

Appalachia 

Notre Dame High School works with Christian Appalachian Project in our shared mission of building hope, transforming lives, and sharing Christ’s love through service in Appalachia KY.

Our Appalachian/ CAP service outreach program is available to all students, faculty and alumni who wish to live out our Holy Cross Mission through service to some of our nation's most vulnerable.  

This week long Summer mission service trip involves hands-on building and remodeling homes as a team united in prayer and in service to others

We invite members of the Notre Dame Community to submit your prayer intentions to the Campus Ministry Office.

Brothers Reaching Others (BRO) is a student led group that exists to provide students with a mini-retreat experience once a month. Students enjoy an evening of fellowship, reflection, pizza and prayer. 

BRO strives to nurture healthy relationships through guided fellowship and guided reflection on the connection our faith has to our everyday life . A true BRO experience occurs when a student leaves feeling that their mind has been informed and their heart further cultivated through faith.