Mount St. Mary Academy
Faith Formation

The total and holistic religious education program at Mount St. Mary, rooted in Catholic tradition, seeks to nurture the faith development and the spiritual growth of the school community.  All students participate in theology courses each year, and our robust and active Campus Ministry Program helps build a Christ-centered community of faith at the Mount using the teachings from these courses.

At Mount St. Mary, we begin each day with schoolwide morning prayer led by a student, faculty member, or staff member.  Each class begins with prayer, as well, and our chapel is open for prayer all day.  Additionally, Advent and Lenten prayer groups meet regularly during their respective seasons.

Theology courses equip students with the knowledge and understanding to develop their faith in God more deeply as they grow into disciples of Jesus, particularly by studying Scripture, Sacred Tradition, the call to service, and the seven principles of Catholic social justice.  These courses encourage students to respond in loving obedience to God and their faith tradition by making moral decisions, by developing the practices of prayer and personal reflection, and by loving and serving humanity with compassion, mercy, and justice.

Mount St. Mary offers many opportunities outside the classroom for its school community to share and develop faith, including weekly Masses each Wednesday and Friday.  These Masses consist of student-led music and readings as well as a homily from our chaplain, Fr. Fred, and the Eucharist.

All students, parents, and grandparents are invited to our monthly Mother/Daughter Rosaries and Father/Daughter Masses.  These services give students the chance to nourish their spirit and their family relationships.  Family members often bring students lunch and enjoy eating together after praying together.

We join together as a school throughout the year to celebrate Holy Day Masses as well as those that honor the life of our school and the students who make up our Mount St. Mary family.  These special Masses and prayer services are open to parents and other visitors.

Students participate in a four-year class retreat program that promotes growth in their spiritual lives regarding their relationships with God, self, and others.  Some retreats are held at Mount St. Mary while others take place off campus, but they all strengthen faith and friendship and help maintain the strong sense of sisterhood that exists at the Mount.

This team of juniors and seniors of various religious denominations coordinates and helps implement all-school Masses and prayer services as well as weekly Wednesday and Friday Masses.  They also assist with monthly Mother/Daughter Rosaries and Father/Daughter Masses, and they work to create meaningful activities for the Mount St. Mary community in response to current needs.

Seniors who are confirmed, practicing Catholics and have a strong calling to use their gifts to help others in Christ have the opportunity to serve as a Eucharistic Minister.

Any student can sign up to assist Fr. Fred as an Altar Server at our all-school Masses.

Alive In Mercy (AIM) is a student organization for those who believe strongly in the Mercy message and want to live their lives accordingly.  Members typically celebrate Mass and eat lunch together once a month to discuss issues that are important to the group.  They also have the opportunity to attend a retreat, often with AIM students from other Mercy high schools.

Reconciliation is scheduled throughout the year, but is also offered when requested.