Welcome to the Sophomore Students Formation and Ministry home page. For additional information on the Sophomore Program, please contact our Sophomore Class Chaplain - Ms. Megan Shephard at megan.shepherd@ignatius.org. For a complete faculty and staff contact list, please visit our Contact Info page.

In the Sophomore Year, students have the privileged opportunity to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Through their Religious Studies course, “Christ: The Eternal Word,” they study the scriptures, the Holy Word of God, which constantly reveals God to us. The sophomore class celebrates their relationship with Christ in Class Liturgies throughout the year. On the Sophomore Retreat, “Lux Vitae: The Light of Life,” students have the opportunity to share in conversation, activities, and prayer with classmates and retreat leaders – which is an opportunity to see Christ in one another. And in their Service Commitment of twenty (20) hours during sophomore year, they have the opportunity to imitate Christ through their service to the poor and the marginalized.

Sophomore Class Liturgies:

The Sophomore Class Liturgy in Holy Family Church on Friday August 28, 2009 celebrated the upcoming year of growing in relationship with Jesus Christ. Fr. Richard Anderson, S.J., presided and blessed the students’ bibles for fruitful study in the year ahead. Ms. Megan Shepherd, Sophomore Chaplain, offered a reflection on the connection between faith, service, and the study of scripture. You can read the text of her reflection here.

Sophomore Retreat:

The Sophomore Retreat is led by juniors and seniors under the direction of the Sophomore Chaplain. The sophomores participate in activities, discussions, and prayer with their classmates on an overnight retreat which focuses on their dependence on God and interdependence with others. The sophomore retreat is a unique opportunity for students to step out of their comfort zone, build new relationships with classmates and upper-class leaders, and to spend time in conversation with God. There will be a lot of fun, too – but one of the reasons we take students away from the daily rhythm of school is to provide them with the time and space to quiet their hearts and minds for prayer. The theme of Sophomore Retreat is Lux Vitae ~ The Light of Life. For two days students reflect on how the light of Christ shines forth in our lives.

Dates for Sophomore Retreat 2009-2010

Location: Divine Word Retreat Center 2001 Waukegan Rd. Techny, IL 60082 Ph. 847-272-1100 Students leave after school Thursday and return about 5:30pm on Friday (1 full class day missed) October 29-30, 2009 ~ December 3-4, 2009 ~ February 25-26, 2010 ~ April 15-16, 2010

Sophomore Service Commitment:

Why do we serve? At the heart of why we – as Christians – serve is Jesus Christ. Out of love for us, Jesus became human and put his entire life at the service of others – even to his death. If our God loves us so much that he is willing to die for us, how can we do anything BUT love and serve others in return? Jesus gave us the perfect example of being a man or woman for others – complete selflessness.

During sophomore year, students are asked to commit to 20 hours of service at one pre-approved service site that will stretch them out of their comfort zone. They are challenged to serve people different from themselves: people who are poor and marginalized, hungry, sick, aged, homeless, or disabled. In building relationships through service, our hope is that sophomores see Jesus Christ in the people they serve – as they will see Christ in those doing the service. Our God became a servant, and so we are called to serve one another.

The challenge of sophomore year is to constantly press the “comfort zone” of service. Therefore, service should be done outside the communities that are most familiar to the student. This is part of moving closer to the Grad at Graduation ideals of being “open to growth… loving…committed to doing justice.” Suggestions for possible service sites include nursing homes, boys and girls clubs, homeless shelters and soup kitchens.

Students earn an additional five (5) hours of credit through participation in the reflection component of the service commitment in their Religious Studies course. The reflection sessions provide context, structure and the opportunity for deeper reflection on the student’s service to a community in need. Attendance and active participation in the reflection sessions earns the additional five-hour credit.

Together, the twenty hours of direct service and five hours of reflection in Religious Studies fulfill the graduation requirement of twenty five hours of service during the sophomore year. Students must meet with the Sophomore Chaplain, Ms. Megan Shepherd, before beginning their service for pre-approval.

Pre-Approval Requirement: All students must have their service sites pre-approved. To receive pre-approval, students must obtain a Sophomore Student Service Report from our office. All sophomores must have their service sites approved by October 26, 2009. Ten (10) hours must be completed by the end of first semester (January 19, 2010). After completing their hours, students must return the signed form to the Sophomore Chaplain. Friday April 30, 2010 is the final deadline for reporting the remaining service hours for the 2009-2010 school year!

Ms. Shepherd, your Sophomore Chaplain, is available to help you find a wonderful service site. The Department of Formation and Ministry is located on the third floor next to Room 330. Please come by to meet with her to discuss your service commitment.