Xavier’s Spirituality & Community Caring Programs
“Men & Women for Others”
Xavier wants each graduate, regardless of faith be it Catholic, Lutheran, Jewish, to be the best of that faith that he or she can be, to deepen that faith. In what is called the “Xavier Grad at Graduation” expectation, a student will have a basic knowledge of the major doctrines and practices of the Catholic church and will have examined his or her own religious beliefs with a view to choosing a fundamental orientation toward God. For those students who are Christian, this means developing a deeper relationship with Jesus.
What makes a Jesuit education unique is found through spiritual exercises, creating a close relationship with teachers and among students – be it in class, on the field, on the stage. The Xavier goal in these close relationships is about finding God in all things.
Jesuits are “Men and Women for Others.” Xavier is dedicated to developing young men and women committed to social justice. A way to achieve this is to work for the benefit of the less fortunate. Xavier students’ outreach to our community includes projects at Angel View Crippled Children Foundation and Martha’s Village & Kitchen, providing Thanksgiving dinners through St. Theresa parish for Coachella Valley families. At Christmas, students worked with Mission San Felipe to bring more than 100 gifts to children.
A Xavier student’s experience of support and love from the members of the school community exemplifies the love and concern that God shows for him or her as a person. Students learn to accept themselves as being loved by God and others through their relationships with other students and members of the community who are different from them. They learn to deal with their personal prejudices, to communicate more easily with others who are from different races, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds.
While not every relationship a student has during the course of high school is necessarily profound or long lasting, students become more able and willing to risk deeper levels of relationship in which one can disclose self and accept the mystery of another person and cherish that person. Ultimately, the goal is to have students use their gifts and talents to make very specific contributions to building the school community at Xavier.
At the heart of this work with our students is an effort by every member of the Xavier community to “find God in all things.” We believe that beneath the various exteriors, there is a God who works with us, and waits patiently for us so that He may use us to build God’s kingdom on this earth.
Spiritual enrichment Includes:
- Weekly liturgy (optional)
- All-school masses and holy day celebrations
- Junior Praxis Project
- Four-year retreat program
- Daily prayer
- The examen:
- How is God at work in my life?
- How have I responded to God’s presence in my life?
- How am I being called to respond now?
Xavier’s Spiritual Future
Xavier looks forward to building our chapel as the center of student life on the campus. Funding this chapel is one of our priorities. The school also hopes to involve parents and the community in underwriting student retreats and service projects for the less fortunate in the Coachella Valley.