Campus Ministry
Campus Ministry first and foremost, seeks to meet each student, wherever they are in their faith journey, and help them to know the loving Sacred Heart of Jesus. We hold fast to this desire that all students feel loved by all, including themselves, and know without a doubt that God loves them simply for who they are.
We strive to educate all students in the faith of the Catholic church. We take seriously the words of our foundress St. Madeleine Sophie Barat who said, “For the sake of one child, I would have founded the Society.” Thus, we see each student as a unique individual; we meet her wherever she is, and provide opportunities to start, maintain, or grow her own personal and active faith in God. We bring attention to how God may speak in the people and events of the everyday. And we humbly acknowledge that we are but small parts in the wondrous relationship that God has for each of us.
Finally, we aspire to make our students open-eyed, alert to the needs of others, generous in service, and courageous in pursuing justice. We instruct students in how to prayerfully discern, follow their conscience, and stand for what in which they believe. We help students grow in self-confidence and deal realistically with gifts and limitations… modeling that we need not grieve what talents God withheld, but rather recognize, rejoice, and use those that were given for good.
* Required
If you have any questions about Duchesne's Campus Ministry, please contact:
Retreats
As a school in the Network of the Sacred Heart we share in the mission of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, the foundress of the Religious of the Sacred Heart, as well as the five Sacred Heart Goals. The retreats at Duchesne are structured to align with these fundamental goals and identity.
In addition to the class retreats, students will also have the opportunity to participate in additional optional retreats. These retreats are determined by the level of interest.
- Freshman Retreat
- Sophomore Retreat
- Junior Retreat
- Senior Retreat
- Parent/Daughter Retreat
- Puiez (Silent) Retreat
- Saint Glass Window Retreat
- Discipleship Retreat
- Adventure Retreat
Freshman Retreat
Freshman retreat is rooted in Goal 4, “the building of community as a Christian value.” Our desire for each of our girls is that they may find, nurture, and develop a personal and active faith in God. Animated by the teachings of the Church, we firmly believe that this is best done in community. Our priority for this retreat, therefore, is to help build that community. We do this through communication activities, faith sharing, confidence building opportunities, play, and teamwork situations.
Sophomore Retreat
Sophomore retreat focuses on Goal 5, “personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom.” Our hope for this retreat is that the girls leave with increased self-awareness and self-confidence, a raised awareness of what true discernment entails, and the courage to stand up for what is right. We provide the space for this by creating an environment in which the students can come to better know their teachers and themselves as multifaceted, caring, and “real” people. This is then supported by activities and discussions that invite the girls to take stock of their own lives, encounter their peers on a deeper level, and explore their God-given desires.
Junior Retreat
Junior retreat is deeply rooted in the social justice values that many of our students hold as stated in Goal 3, “a social awareness that impels to action.” Our primary hope—and goal—is that this retreat achieves both the social awareness aspect as well as the call to action. On the retreat the girls are invited, sometimes implicitly and other times explicitly, to contemplate identity, community, and ultimately the great value (and challenge) of solidarity.
Digital Junior Retreat Form
Senior Retreat
Parent/Daughter Retreat
Puiez (Silent) Retreat
Named for Madeleine Sophie’s practice of plunging down into the well spring that is the Holy Spirit to fill her bucket, this overnight retreat provides a space of sacred silence for students and faculty to step back from the busy bustle of everyday life, and focus on their interior relationship with the Spirit. On this retreat students will have a significant amount of free time for prayer and reflection, as well as several meetings with spiritual directors.
Saint Glass Window Retreat
Discipleship Retreat
Adventure Retreat
Prayer, Liturgy, and Worship
Goal 1 calls us—students and teachers alike—to have a personal and active faith in God. At Duchesne, we provide a multitude of opportunities that invite and enhance all students on their spiritual journey, whatever that may be. As a Sacred Heart school, Masses and class retreats serve as the Catholic foundation for Campus Ministry and allow our entire community to pray together as one. Students are encouraged to participate as liturgical ministers including Eucharistic minister, lectors, musicians, singers, servers and ushers/greeters.
In all that we do, we strive to create avenues for young women to both develop their faith and put it into action.
Service, Justice, and Advocacy
Service is an integral component of a Sacred Heart education. The purpose of the service program is to teach students to become aware of and sensitive to justice issues. The goals of the Sacred Heart schools include the commitment to educate to a social awareness that impels to action. The aim of our service component is to give students the ongoing opportunity to feel empowered to affect the world around them and to model the teachings of Christ in their broader communities. The types of service that are appropriate for this requirement are those that benefit the poor, the sick, and the marginalized.
Students are encouraged to serve those outside of their normal circles. We seek to establish in our students a genuine respect and authentic compassion for all people and the environment in which we live. Each year Duchesne students are required to volunteer in our community, serving the church, school and the marginalized in Omaha.
The required hours are as follows:
- Freshmen 10 hours
- Sophomores 15 hours
- Juniors 20 hours
- Seniors 25 hours
To explore additional volunteer opportunities in the Omaha metro area, please visit Creighton Center for Service and Justice.
Service Trips
Service is an integral component of Sacred Heart education and is actively promoted through Goal 3 “a social awareness that impels to action.” Service trips are an excellent way to integrate service and education while allowing students to gain real-world and travel experience. Duchesne offers a variety of school-sponsored service trips throughout the academic year and summer. Assistance for the costs associated with service trips is available through the Sr. Shirley Miller Travel Scholarship.
Sr. Shirley Miller Travel Scholarship:
The Sr. Shirley Miller Travel Scholarship is made available every January to assist students who want to participate in the many travel programs offered at Duchesne. Awards are given in early February and available for use on any school trip during the student’s years at Duchesne.
If you have questions about this travel scholarship contact Laura Hickman, Principal, at lhickman@duchesneacademy.org
*There may be an academic requirement if a student will miss classes
Domestic Service Trips
NETWORK SUMMER SERVICE
Current freshmen through juniors may apply for a Network summer service trip. Traditionally, over 150 Network students participate. Many service opportunities are offered such as the St. Madeleine Sophie Center in El Cajon, California; Juvenile Justice service trip in Chicago, Illinois; #projectneo in Miami, FL; Healthy Water Rebuilt NOLA in New Orleans, LA and many more. Sites vary from year to year. Length and cost of the trips vary depending on the site. Students may travel by themselves or with a small group from Duchesne if other students are accepted on the trip.
Additional information about the Network Summer Service Program can be found here.
If you have questions about this trip opportunity contact:
Mr. Scott Quinn
Service Coordinator
squinn@duchesneacademy.org
WINNEBAGO INDIAN RESERVATION
Students may apply for ten to twelve openings every spring to visit St. Augustine Mission School founded by St. Katherine Drexel in 1906 at Winnebago, Nebraska. Students stay at the school and eat with the local students throughout the trip. Duchesne students learn the history, language, and culture of the Omaha and Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) tribes through the cultural liaison at St. Augustine’s.
If you have questions about this trip opportunity contact:
Mr. Eric Krakowski
Assistant Principal
ekrakowski@duchesneacademy.org
KOINONIA FARM
In the fall, students have the opportunity to visit Koinonia Farm in Americus, Georgia. Koinonia Farm was founded in 1942 by Clarence Jordan as a demonstration plot for the Kingdom of God, where all people, regardless of race, would be treated with dignity. Today, Koinonia Farm continues to be devoted to living out the Christian faith, promoting peace, living simply, and farming sustainably. Highlights of this trip include living and working with members of Koinonia Farm, volunteering at Harvest of Hope Food Pantry, visiting Habitat for Humanity International Village, learning about Fair-Trade at Café Campesino, a coffee roastery and coffee shop, touring the Albany Civil Rights Institute and two churches where Martin Luther King, Jr spoke, and a couple hikes to enjoy God’s beauty. This trip offers plenty of opportunities for students to grow in their faith, live out social justice, and learn more about American History.
If you have any questions about this trip opportunity, contact:
Mrs. Sara McConnell
Theology Teacher
smcconnell@duchesneacademy.org
International Service Trips
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
The Institute for Latin American Concern (ILAC) in the Dominican Republic is an “international, Christian, Ignatian-inspired, collaborative health care and educational organization that exists to promote the integral well-being and spiritual growth of all its participants.” (Creighton.edu) Each year, 12 young women from Duchesne spend the fall semester raising money to do a service project in one of the campos. The spring semester is spent preparing for the trip: building community, learning about the history and current issues in the Dominican Republic and preparing spiritually. Preparation also includes an overnight retreat. Students then spend two weeks in the Dominican Republic learning about the country firsthand and completing their service project. The highlight of the trip is the five days spent in the campo, a complete immersion experience to complete their service project and live with Dominican families. Traveling to the Dominican Republic through ILAC provides experience for the girls that help develop their spirituality, their appreciation for the lifestyle we lead in the United States, and a commitment to a social awareness which impels to action.
If you have questions about this trip opportunity contact:
Mrs. Frances Swanson
College Counselor
fswanson@duchesneacademy.org
MEXICO
Every other year, Duchesne students join Sacred Heart students from Stuart Hall and Convent of the Sacred Heart in San Francisco and Sacred Heart in Atherton. They travel to Mexico for a five-day service experience in Mexico City, Cholula, and Puebla. Community Links International co-sponsors this trip.
If you have questions about this trip opportunity contact:
Mr. TJ Mullaney
Theology Teacher
tmullaney@duchesneacademy.org
AFRICA
The Uganda service trip occurs every other year. Students visit Sacred Heart schools and convents, as well as the motherhouse for the Kenya-Uganda province and the novitiate. Experiencing the common spirituality that ties us together within the international network of Sacred Heart is a powerful reinforcement to our own spirituality. The spiritual dimension of the trip to Uganda includes a retreat prior to departure as well as a retreat at the end of the trip. The girls are constantly reminded that they are Christ’s hands and feet and are there to live as Ugandans to experience the world through their eyes. Once students return to Duchesne, they share their experiences with the rest of the community.
If you have questions about this trip opportunity contact:
Mrs. Katie Risch Bakhit
V.P. of Advancement
kbakhit@duchesneacademy.org