Everything done at St Peter's Kubatana celebrates the continuing action of God's Holy Spirit in ourselves, others and the world around us. In celebrating life we are worshipping God. "The glory of God is humankind fully alive", so said St. Irenaeus. Therefore, our main act of worship is the enjoyment given to us by the people we meet and the activities in which we engage.
High School Chapel Services are designed to underline this fundamental truth. At them, we also celebrate the forgiveness and mercy of God, in recognising our failures to Him and one another. But for the Catholics among us, worship culminates in the Eucharist, which is the celebration of God's love for us in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and the love that we have for one another.
The Chaplaincy is responsible for the religious activities at the High School, Service Projects, Interaction, Days of Recollection, Retreats, Christian Life Community (CLC), Pilgrimages etc. It also works in conjunction with the personal counseling facility as explained below. Some of these activities are optional. In particular, some Chapel Services and Days of Recollection are for all students.
In addition, the Chaplaincy operates outside the normal disciplinary structure of the school and students should feel free to use its counseling services, safe in the knowledge that their confidentiality will be respected. Any member of staff who is willing to be a Chaplain may be part of the Chaplaincy Counselling Team.
Fr. Masakare SJKey areas of responsibility
As chaplains at a Jesuit or Catholic School; we are expected by the Catholic Church and the Society of Jesus to provide spiritual, pastoral support, moral and physical support to the pupils and staff of the school, bearing witness to the mission statement and maintaining and enhancing the distinctive Catholic nature of the school.
- To provide spiritual and pastoral support to members of the school community.
- To develop and enhance the spiritual, liturgical and prayer life of the school, providing opportunities for worship and reflection.
- To organize a full programme of school liturgies and retreats.
- To organize the celebration of Mass every week and for special feasts during the year
- To actively promote the Catholicity of the school, and be a model for Catholic values. At our school, Chaplaincy is not a stand-alone or an enterprise divorced from the rest of the school community - It is the animating spirit, the faithful companion, the critical friend (from the perspective of gospel values), at the heart of the school community.
Chaplaincy Expectations
- Being a catholic Jesuit Run school, all students are expected to attend compulsory extracurricular activities like Masses without fail. Masses are very key to the life of this school and individuals.
- Given that we are in Lenten season, this means that the school shall do some fundraising of some sort among students and members of staff. The proceeds will go towards some social services. The importance of the gesture of social service is to teach and give opportunities to our learners to deepen their understanding of the virtues of compassion and love. We want to teach our students as young as they are to start thinking about how to build a better world. In the words of Fr Pedro Arrupe: "forming agents of change" in our society.
- It is a must for everyone to attend choir practice if it is their class having mass. They meet on Mondays and Wednesdays. We have a very qualified and good choirmaster. Apart from choir, students are invited to join the CLC and Catechism classes etc.
- Students are free to visit the chaplaincy office for accompaniment. Accompaniment, is a principal 'way of proceeding' in a Jesuit school (making sure pupils have someone to turn to, adults, older pupils or peers, who will be there for them); we don't want our children to be stressed and they can't share what's stressing them with anyone.
Thank You, Maita Basa