CAMPUS MINISTRY
Campus Ministry is an elective course offered to St. Mary’s seniors. Students have the opportunity to develop a more active faith life along with other students. Campus Ministry provides students with opportunities to grow in their faith by getting involved in outreach projects, and by assuming a more vital role in the school wide ministry. Campus ministers play a key role in the development and facilitation of all the school retreats. They also assist with school liturgies, prayer services, and they help design other activities that enhance the spiritual life of the students and faculty at St. Mary’s High School. Campus Ministry is an interactive, hands-on experience for students who want to grow in their own spirituality and help others do the same.

Prerequisites for this class include approval by the director of Campus Ministry/Administrative Team. Student leadership is the hallmark of Campus Ministry. Grading for this class is pass/fail.

RELIGIOUS STUDIES
The ultimate goal of the St. Mary’s Theology Department is to foster students' personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The Theology teachers seek to challenge students to understand the traditions and teachings of the Catholic Church. Students commit to a growing relationship with God and others and lead a life of service in imitation of Jesus Christ. St. Mary’s students are rooted in prayers, nourished by the sacraments, and guided by Scripture.

Class Topics
Theology I – An Introduction to Catholic Theology, An Overview of the Bible, Gospel of Mark, The Acts of the Apostles, The Creed, Liturgy and the Sacraments, Our Life of Christ
Theology II – A Catholic Reading of Scripture, Gospel of Matthew, Genesis, Exodus and Numbers, The Historical Books, The Prophets, the New Testament Letters and the Early Church
Theology III – The Life of the Church, Gospel of Luke, the First and Second Millennium, The Chair of St. Peter, Psalms and Prayer, The Four Last Things
Theology IV – Wisdom for Life, Gospel of John, The Wisdom of the Old Testament, The Spiritual Life, Vocation, Converts, The Revelation of John

Text Books:

1. The Ave Catholic Notetaking Bible

2. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament

3. Saint Paul Sunday Missal

4. The Case for Jesus

CLASS RETREATS
Each grade level has a retreat once a year. The retreat is designed and facilitated by the Campus Ministry Class under the direct guidance of Father Joe Dygert. The current themes for the class retreats are as follows:

Freshmen: One Body 
The day is grounded in the ideas presented in 1 Corinthians 12, where St. Paul describes the Christian community as the Body of Christ. This passage acknowledges that each member of the body is different and emphasizes that each member needs the other members to make a body whole. Freshman Retreat is designed to give an experience of this truth in a concrete manner via a challenge course, also known as a low-ropes course. Students are formed by working together as a community and honoring each other’s gifts.

Sophomores: Pilgrimage
Throughout the Church’s history, Christians have undertaken pilgrimages to holy sites. These journeys express devotion towards God and focus on places where God has touched (or currently touches) earth through His Incarnation. Sophomore Retreat is a driving/walking pilgrimage to St. Mary’s Cathedral, the central church of our diocese, and to Jesus present in His true body and blood in the Eucharist, so that students have an experience of this ancient tradition of pilgrimage.

Juniors: Kairos
This 3-day, 2-night retreat is the central retreat of the St. Mary's High School cycle. Kairos is a powerful retreat offered at many Catholic schools throughout the nation; the name roughly means “God’s time”; a time when we step away from our normal pursuits to be with God and to be open to the gifts He wants to give us. Junior Retreat invites students to grow as individuals, to deepen as a community, and to encounter Jesus in a profound way.

Seniors: Going Forward
At the end of their time at St. Mary’s, Seniors go on an overnight retreat at YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado. Senior Retreat is a time to enjoy time together with a few deeper things mixed in - the goal is to close their time at St. Mary’s with joy. Themes include friendship, forgiveness, and invitation to remain close to Jesus going forward from St. Mary's High School after graduation.