High school is a time for learning, but it’s also an important time of personal growth. At St. Joseph’s Academy, a Catholic girls’ high school in Frontenac, that includes spiritual development as well. A newly dedicated Campus Ministry Room provides a place for the school community to meet, connect, study and grow in faith, and students are embracing it.
St. Joseph’s already had a thriving campus ministry program, but its former space was an old classroom that didn’t truly meet students’ needs, says campus ministry director Anna Hotop. The new room has been built for group discussions and informal study gatherings, and allows students to connect online with peers at sister schools. Hotop says it is located at the heart of campus for a reason—to reflect the ministry’s central place in the academic lives of students and faculty.
Videoconferencing technology lets students communicate with other Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet schools in places like Kansas City, Japan and France. Desks and comfortable furniture give them a place to study, relax during free periods and research service project ideas. Books and resource materials are available to those working on assignments, and students and faculty can use the room for chapel, meditation and prayer. Background music keeps the atmosphere light, and a life-size cutout of a smiling Pope Francis watches over the room, reminding students of the school’s Catholic traditions and values.
There’s even a new adjoining space where staff and faculty can meet without disrupting students in the ministry room, Hotop says. “Before, we had to send students elsewhere when we were having planning meetings,” she notes. “Now, the campus ministry space is always open to everyone.” Senior Ellie Burnham, president of the student campus ministry team, says the new room represents diversity and inclusion because it is open to students of all ages and faiths. “It’s a place where we build community,” she notes. “When I was a freshman, the ministry program gave me the chance to grow in spirit, courage and confidence. I feel that even more in our new space. It has allowed me to create lasting relationships with girls from every class at school. It’s my favorite place on campus.”
The project was funded by the school’s annual auction and a donation from a parent who is an alumna, according to Hotop. Students were asked for their input, but they didn’t know what the room would look like until the unveiling. “They were very emotional about it at the grand opening,” she says. “There were lots of ear-to-ear smiles, even tears of joy.”
Founded in 1840 by theSisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Joseph’s Academy is an all-girls’ Catholic high school in Frontenac. Jennifer Sudekum is principal, and Dr. Regina Mooney is president. Pictured on the cover: Students relax and connect in the school’s new Campus Ministry Room. For more information, call 314.394.4300 or visit sja1840.org.
Cover design by Julie Streiler | Cover photo by Colin Miller of Strauss Peyton Photography
