As Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School in Potomac
Shores prepares to reopen, students who haven’t seen each other for months
greet in the halls, sport teams take to the fields for conditioning and
faithful devotees stop in the chapel to pray.
This year, the school will reintegrate some favorite customs and
events while maintaining cleaning protocols to keep the school sanitized.
Faculty and staff are involved with faith-life events throughout
the year from retreats to service days and holy hours to sport team Masses.
Opportunities for faculty and staff to grow in fraternity take the shape of
book clubs and quarterly get-togethers.
Parents are encouraged and invited to participate in the school
through service: service in prayer (joining for adoration days); service in
time (helping run the varied formative events); and service in gifts (donations
for the service projects and works of service that keep the school running).
In addition to these, parents can attend evening classes to
continue to learn and grow in the faith and see what their students are taught during
the school day.
For the students, the school continually strives to grow in a
culture of worship and service bonded by the eucharistic Lord. Wide-ranging
devotions, confraternities, annual class retreats, daily prayer, weekly adoration
and seasonal liturgical traditions enrich the knowledge of and participation at
Mass.
In the culture of service, Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia are
at the forefront providing that example of faithful and joy-filled service. The
school is revamping the “Service Club” into our new “Works of Mercy Club” that
will challenge the students to participate in their choice of service while
recognizing the various ways they are called to love. These opportunities of
service are not required, but are designed so that each member of the WolfPack
family can make that intentional step to be a witness in our modern world.
Faith-life at John Paul the Great imitates the unique
architectural structure of the school: the tabernacle in the chapel stands at
the center of the school. The mission is to provide an environment where
students can grow in the image of Jesus Christ.
