Catholic Mission

BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLIES SERVICE EVENT

Students collected and donated 176 backpacks and four carloads of school supplies, totaling over 1,450 items. All were donated to HomeFront, kicking off the Notre Dame High School Service Learning Program for the 2020-21 school year. Anna Piacentino ‘21 spearheaded this project as an extension of her own service initiative to collect school supplies in her Robbinsville community. Her experience of service and leadership inspired her to extend the drive to the entire Notre Dame community. With the help of fellow senior Anna Stout ‘21, the project was expanded and developed as a donation day for HomeFront. The student coordinators were joined by Maeve Evanovich ‘21, Grace Lombardi ‘21, Taylor Okamura ‘21, Juliana Troiano ‘21, Emma Lalli ‘21 and Olivia Brodtman ‘21. Service to the community is the cornerstone of a Notre Dame education. The Service Learning Program inspires students to follow the example of Jesus as they recognize the dignity of every person. The program fosters commitment to a lifetime of giving to both the local and global communities.

OUR MERCY CORE VALUES

FRESHMAN ICAN AND SPIRITUALITY DAY

The first Freshman ICAN/Spirituality Day was full of energy, especially since it was the first time the students had been together as a group since learning was virtual due to COVID. The day began with Mass and inspiring workshops. Youth Minister, Gezemiah Ford spoke to the students about life choices. A representative from Attitudes in Reverse (AIR) shared a “toolkit” for good mental health. Goober, a therapy dog, was also in attendance to supply some furry, fun stress relief. There was also a workshop on prayer. During the service portion of the day, the freshmen packaged over 20,000 meals for Rise Against Hunger.

The Celebrate Life Club attended the March for Life to give testimony to our firm belief in the sanctity of life at all ages and all stages. Since travel was not an option in the 2020-21 school year, the Club planned a number of events in lieu of their trip to Washington, DC. At the beginning of the year, the entire school community prayed a Rosary for Life – both in-person in our school chapel and virtually via our YouTube channel. Students, parents and alumni were able to watch remotely. The Club also launched a “Bundles for Babies” for new moms who have chosen to carry their unborn babies to term. Students donated undershirts, sleepers, pajamas, socks, bibs, diapers, wipes, socks, clothing, bottles and baby formula. The Club consolidated all of the donations so that each layette "bundle" could be donated. They also set up a flag display with 970 blue and pink plastic flags to signify unborn children’s lives that were lost to abortion. The display included two banners explaining the meaning of the flags, as well as how a person affected by abortion could seek help and support.

CelebrateLifeTHE CLUB

MERCY DAY LITURGY

It is our tradition to honor our founding Sisters of Mercy at the first Liturgy of each school year. In 1957, Principal, Fr. Henry M. Tracy was assisted by Sister Mary Eleanor and a teaching staff of 16, consisting of 12 Sisters of Mercy and four lay teachers who opened our school. College preparatory classes were offered along with business education courses, mechanical drawing and a reading program. Sr. Karina Haywood, RSM offered the following prayer for Mercy Day “The Sisters of Mercy join in prayer to shower grace and strength on the present and past members of the ND family.” We are grateful to the Mercy Sisters for the foundation of the core values they established at our school: Respect, Integrity, Justice, Compassion and Service.

FEBRUARY LITURGY

Celebrating social justice, diversity, inclusion and the Progress of People and Black History Month was the theme of the February liturgy. Mass was celebrated by Father Jason Parzynski with special help from members of the SHADES Club, the Justice Club and the World Language Department. Students read the petitions in multiple languages such as English, Spanish, Creole, Polish, French, Italian and Latin. Following the liturgy, the SHADES Club presented a video of Dr. Dwayne Proctor, Chair of the Board of Governors of the NAACP and Senior Advisor to the President of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, who gave an insightful presentation explaining the importance of spreading pride in African American communities. After the video, students celebrated their heritage through poems and songs. The performances concluded with a praise dance duet and a step dance.

RECEPTION OF THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION

Anthony Balbuena ‘23, Brianna Barbarino ‘22, Will Celli ‘22, Alyssa Jennings ‘23, Mason Kloc ‘23, Aidan McGovern ‘23, Britt Reid ‘23 and Giacomo Rosati ‘23 received the Sacrament of Confirmation and were celebrated at a school-wide liturgy in October. The seven students completed their final preparations for the Sacrament of Confirmation through the RCIA Program at Notre Dame. The RCIA Program stands for “Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.” It is designed to help those who desire to enter into a faith-filled community within the Catholic church. Notre Dame was blessed to be able to implement the RCIA process and Confirmation preparation into our school. Mrs. Eileen Hart, a faculty member in the Religion Department, played an essential role in the RCIA Program. For a number of years, she worked as the Coordinator for the RCIA Program at the Diocese of Trenton and carried her experience over to Notre Dame. We are blessed to have been able to witness this special and holy moment as a community during our Liturgy.

Season of GivingNOTRE DAME KICKS OFF THE

Members of the Notre Dame community held four different service events over the 2020 Thanksgiving weekend bringing many gifts to those in need. “What better way to enter this special time of year than by giving to others,” said Maggie Kelly, SVP and Director of Institutional Advancement. The First Annual Turkey Trot took place from November 21-29 and was a great success. More than 170 Notre Dame alumni, family and friends entered the virtual 5k run/walk and raised over $4,000 to support our local community. The funds raised were donated to Senior Care Services of Greater Princeton and The Mt. Carmel Guild.

This was the second year for the Notre Dame Alumni Food Drive spearheaded by ND alumna and former faculty member, Bonnie Clawson ’96 Milecki. In 2019, 25 alumni donated close to 125 pounds of food. 41 alumni spanning three decades donated 651 pounds of food to the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank in Ewing, NJ. Bonnie began the food drive initiative in hopes of keeping alumni involved in community service. Notre Dame’s Catholic Athletes for Christ (CAC) partnered with Joey’s Little Angels for its annual toy drive for local children’s hospitals. Students collected over 2,400 toys to be donated to Joey’s Little Angels. A toy donation event on was held November 28. Families were greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Claus, a live reindeer, princesses, superheroes, music and bagpipers. The event was featured on 6ABC news. “We are incredibly thankful to have had such wonderful participation from our Notre Dame family in our Turkey Trot 5K, Alumni Food Drive, student-run Thanksgiving Food Drive and Joey’s Little Angels Toy Drive,” said Ms. Kelly. “A commitment to citizenship and service in the community is a cornerstone of Notre Dame High School’s mission. It was truly a blessing to be able to begin this season of giving on such a high note, especially during these unprecedented times.”