Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School
Our Mission
TYPE SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT
Our Vision
Notre Dame High School will be known for graduating confident, academically successful students
who are spiritually rooted, intellectually curious, active community and global citizens and college graduated
leaders.
Our Core Values
 Goodness of God
 Education for life
 Integrity
 Respect
 Family
 Community
Mission Statement
of the
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur,
women with hearts as wide as the world,
make known God’s goodness and love of the poor
through a gospel way of life, community and prayer.
Continuing a strong educational tradition,
we take our stand with poor people, especially women and children, in the most abandoned places.
Each of us commits her one and only life to work with others
to create justice and peace for all.
The following Hallmarks describe the essential characteristics, values, and activities of a Notre
Dame education community. They were established in response to the question: “What makes our
school a Notre Dame School?”
As a Cristo Rey School, our values are aligned with the Cristo Rey Network whose spirit and
philosophy we embrace.
The reflection and discussion of the Hallmarks invites the learning community, on a regular
basis, to examine their mission and make choices for the institution’s continued development. The
Hallmarks give value-based direction for decisions and activities so that the learning community
continues to express the spirituality of the Sisters of Notre Dame and the philosophy of the Cristo Rey
Network.
Hallmark One
We Proclaim By Our Lives
Even More Than By Our Words that God Is Good
We believe, even in the midst of today’s reality, that God is good, and we stand firm in our commitment
to honor that goodness in ourselves, in others, and in our world.
We value life as an on-going spiritual journey of deepening relationships with self, others, and God.
We make relevant to the life of our contemporary learning community the Sisters of Notre Dame de
Namur history and the spirit of St. Julie Billiart. We seek to live this heritage by allowing it to influence
our actions in today’s world.
We create decisions and policies that reflect the mission and values of the Sisters of Notre Dame de
Namur and that are sensitive to the various stakeholders.
We make decisions respecting, and informed by, the gospel values of our Catholic tradition and
teachings.
The good God will give you grace and light to know what is right at the time. --St. Julie
Words from St. Julie
Our idea of God’s goodness is never comprehensive enough.
Reading: The Fourth Essential by Sr. Mary Linscott, SNDdeN
Wherever she (Julie) met the goodness by which something is genuinely itself, she caught the reflection
of the goodness of God, and responded to it with a blend of faith, confidence and love. That God is good
was her life-long conviction. He was good in himself and in what he had made. He was good in the free
outpouring of his grace. He was good in all his arrangements. “God is our good Father,” Julie would say.
“It is on this solid foundation that we must rest.”
Scripture: Luke 15: 3-7
So Jesus told this parable: “Who of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not
leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he
has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his
friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.’”
Discussion and Sharing
How has the goodness of God (or other Hallmark) manifested itself in your personal experiences?
What further dimension is added by the readings?
How does this Hallmark evidence itself in the Mission, Vision, Core Values and Spirit of NDCR?
Concluding Prayer
Prayer through the intercession of St. Julie
O God, through the intercession of Julie Billiart, may all threatened by revolution and political unrest (especially…)
know the peace the world cannot always give. Response: God, hear our prayer
O God, through the intercession of your daughter, Julie, give courage to those who are injured and physically
disabled and who need us to understand their plight. Response
O God, through the intercession of your daughter, Julie, bless those who follow her inspiration through the
ministry of schools. Response
O God, through the intercession of your daughter, Julie, comfort all who suffer misunderstanding through their
proclamation of gospel values. Response
And for what or whom else shall we pray ...
Let us pray
O God, you blessed your daughter Julie with humility and wisdom in the midst of struggle and
misunderstanding. Through her, many women and men came to know your love and goodness towards
us. Bless all those who follow in her footsteps, that we may continue the work of showing your
goodness to everyone, a work that you began in her. We ask this in the names of Jesus and Mary.
Amen
O my God, I will continue to perform all my actions for the love of You. Amen.
St. Julie, pray for us
May, 2013
Hallmark Two
We Honor the Dignity and Sacredness of each Person
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We develop and appreciate relationships that respect individual differences.
We create environments that encourage the development of the whole person.
We dedicate time, space and personnel in support of the individual’s spiritual and personal
journey.
Words from St. Julie
A simple soul is affectionate and attentive to the needs of others.
Scripture: Luke 6: 36-38
Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves;
do not condemn and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned.
Give, and there will be gifts
for you; a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running
over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given
back.
Discussion and Sharing
Concluding Prayer (back page)
Hallmark Three
We Educate for and Act on Behalf of Justice and Peace in the World
 We educate on behalf of justice and are willing to take socially responsible actions against
injustice (e.g., issues of discrimination against women and racial discrimination).
 We ground our action on behalf of justice in the spiritual practice of reflection-action-reflection.
 We infuse classroom experience with global perspectives and integrate classroom learning with
civil and cultural interactions.
 We live and act with reverence for the earth and the environment.
 The learning community provides a lived experience of simplicity and goodness which expresses
the gospel message of charity in joy, warmth, spontaneity, integrity and openness to God and all
of creation.
 We commit ourselves to create just systems and relationships within our learning community.
 We make conscious the effect our decisions and actions will have on the lives of the poor by
making choices which are rooted in the gospel.
 We foster responsible global citizenship and to that end we commit ourselves to the practice of
dialogue, non-violence, and conflict resolution.
Words from St. Julie
I pray with all my heart to the good God to help you in this work…. This kind of work is destined to be
done only by souls filled with the spirit of God.
Scripture: Matthew 25: 35-41
...When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious
throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate them as a shepherd
separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.
Then the King will say to those on the right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the
Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was
thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and
you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these
righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you
something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did
we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’ And the King will tell them, ‘I assure you, when you did
it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
Discussion and Sharing (page 8)
Concluding Prayer (back page)
Hallmark Four
We Commit Ourselves To Community Service
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We integrate service-learning (community based learning) into the academic curriculum and cocurricular activities.
We create partnerships with community agencies that facilitate service-learning processes. We
ground our service in the spiritual practice of reflection-action-reflection, and we incorporate
this process into our service-learning commitments.
Words from St. Julie
Our charity must not be limited by the love we have for one another. It must make our hearts as wide as
the world.
Scripture: Luke 16: 19-30
“And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he
fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by
chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So
likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan,
as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him
and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought
him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the
innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’
“Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said,
“The one who showed mercy on him.” And Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Discussion and Sharing (page 8)
Concluding Prayer (back page)
I pray this Spirit of all truth to instruct you and to strengthen you ever more from day to day.
Faithfully follow the signs indicating where God is leading you. --St. Julie
Hallmark Five
We Embrace the Gift Of Diversity
 We welcome to our community people of diverse cultures, ethnicity, race, socio-economic
circumstances, gender, age, sexual orientation and faith traditions.
 We develop educational programs which expand our knowledge and understanding of the
diversity in our world community and which celebrate the richness of that heritage.
 We initiate strategies and support services which respect individual learning styles and which
build the self-esteem of each student
Words from St. Julie
The spirit of the good God acts calmly and peacefully yet inspires efforts that are in themselves never
slow. Take care not to miss the grace which urges you on.
Scripture: Matthew 25: 14-30
For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property;
to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he
went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five
talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the
one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of
those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came
forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made
five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful
over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two
talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents
more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little,
I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’
Discussion and Sharing (page 8)
Concluding Prayer (back page)
Hallmark Six
We Create Community among Those with Whom We Work and With Those We Serve
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We remember and honor the legacy of friendship between the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
co-foundresses, Julie Billiart and Francoise Blin de Bourdon, and we foster a spirit of friendship
as foundational to our learning community relationships.
We value and implement community-building activities, both social and spiritual, between and
among all members of our learning community.
We design and foster collaborative processes wherever possible; we ground decision-making in
active participation and the principle of subsidiarity.
We create interactive and collaborative educational experiences.
We create an atmosphere of open and direct communication.
Words from St. Julie
Let us pray that unity, the soul of a community, may never be destroyed.
Let us help each other with all our hearts and with all our prayers.
Scripture: Luke 24: 14-30
That very day two disciples were going to a village named Emmaus... and talking with each other about
all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew
near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is
this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad.
Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not
know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And
they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before
God and all the people.” … Jesus said to them, “O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the
prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his
glory? And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the
things concerning himself. So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to
be going further, but they constrained him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is
now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread,
blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; ...”
Discussion and Sharing (page 8)
Concluding Prayer (back page)
Hallmark Seven
We Develop Holistic Learning Communities
Which Educate For Life
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We design and implement academically excellent educational experiences.
We create curricular/co-curricular interactions that facilitate student-centered
learning/teaching environments.
We actively support the intellectual, emotional, spiritual, psychological and social growth of the
members of our learning community.
We provide an environment and appropriate training for leadership development.
We foster educational activities that develop self-directed learners capable of self-evaluation,
critical thinking, and creative responses to life situations.
We work with and within a risk-taking and flexible organization which exhibits compassionate
and socially responsible actions in response to issues of justice; bases its curriculum on crosscultural perspectives and understandings; respects and explores the unique and complementary
roles and gifts of women and men in society.
Words from St. Julie
We must not regard study simply as useful and necessary for effective teaching. We must regard it as...
justice.
Scripture: Matthew 13, 31-32
“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; it is the
smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the
birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
Discussion and Sharing (page 8)
Concluding Prayer (back page)
The Spirit of the good God acts calmly and peacefully yet inspires efforts that are in themselves never
slow. Take care not to miss the grace which is urging you on. --Sr. Françoise
THE HALLMARKS
OF A
NOTRE DAME DE NAMUR
EDUCATION
Notre Dame Cristo Rey
High School
Our Mission
YOUR SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT
Our Vision
Notre Dame High School will be known for graduating confident, academically successful students
who are spiritually rooted, intellectually curious, active community and global citizens and college
graduated leaders.
Our Core Values
Goodness of God
Education for life
Integrity
Respect
Family
Community
Mission Statement
of the
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur,
women with hearts as wide as the world,
make known God’s goodness and love of the poor
through a gospel way of life, community and prayer.
Continuing a strong educational tradition,
we take our stand with poor people,
especially women and children,
in the most abandoned places.
Each of us commits her one and only life
to work with others to create justice and peace for all.
The following Hallmarks describe the essential characteristics, values, and activities of a Notre Dame
education community. They were established in response to the question: “What makes our school a
Notre Dame School?”
As a Cristo Rey School, our values are aligned with the Cristo Rey Network whose spirit and philosophy
we embrace.
The reflection and discussion of The Hallmarks invites the learning community, on a regular basis, to
examine their mission and make choices for the institution’s continued development. The Hallmarks
give value-based direction for decisions and activities so that the learning community continues to
express the spirituality of the Sisters of Notre Dame and the philosophy of the Cristo Rey Network.
Beginning a new year
The potential for fullness of life is held in the bud…..
Scripture Reading
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but
always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God
working in all of us. The particular way in which the Spirit is given to each person is for a good purpose.
Reflection and Sharing: What gifts surround you?
Our Response as an NDCR Community
We proclaim by our lives even more than by our words that God is good.
All: We believe that all of life is a gift from a loving creator, that our universe continues to reveal the
mystery of God to us and so we pray to awaken in the hearts of our students an understanding of the
sacredness of life in all its forms.
We honor the dignity and sacredness of each person.
All: St. Paul reminds us that the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and it is through the body that we
praise God. And so we pray that we may model healthy life choices that nourish the inner and outer
being.
We educate for and act on behalf of justice and peace in the world.
All: We learn from the richness of our past and we grow toward fullness of life, attempting to end or
change the injustices in our global community.
And so we commit ourselves to deepening our awareness of the injustices in our world and to
modeling just systems and relationships.
We commit ourselves to community service.
All: As a learning community, we understand that all our experiences are sources of personal growth
and character development. Our growth and development, however, are not for ourselves alone but for
the growth and development of the world community.
We embrace the gift of diversity.
All: We celebrate the richness of the various cultures of the world and realize that each culture holds
pieces of our collective wisdom. We pray for the gifts of true communication, the ability to speak the
truth, the openness to listen with unbiased hearts, and the desire to let our inner selves be changed by
others’ goodness.
We create community among those with whom we work and with those we serve.
All: All of creation models for us the necessity of interdependence and relationship for healthy living.
We commit ourselves to the building of this community at NDCR, giving of our time and talents to one
another.
We develop holistic learning communities which educate for life.
All: NDCR is first and foremost a Catholic, college preparatory high school and so we commit ourselves
to developing learning opportunities that foster faith formation, creative expression, and intellectual
growth.
Let Us Pray (together):
As we come to the start of this new year, we offer ourselves once again in an act of self-gift to proclaim
God’s goodness and to educate our young women and men in faith, character and scholar ship. God, be
our strength and wisdom as we embrace the blessings and face the challenges of each day. In Jesus’
name through Julie’s intercession we pray. Amen.
Prayer through the intercession of St. Julie
O God, through the intercession of Julie Billiart, may all threatened by revolution and political unrest
(especially…) know the peace the world cannot always give. Response: God, hear our prayer
O God, through the intercession of your daughter, Julie, give courage to those who are injured and
physically disabled and who need us to understand their plight. Response
O God, through the intercession of your daughter, Julie, bless those who follow her inspiration through
the ministry of schools. Response
O God, through the intercession of your daughter, Julie, comfort all who suffer misunderstanding
through their proclamation of gospel values. Response
And for what or whom else shall we pray ...
Let us pray
O God, you blessed your daughter Julie with humility and wisdom in the midst of struggle and
misunderstanding. Through her, many women and men came to know your love and goodness towards
us. Bless all those who follow in her footsteps, that we may continue the work of showing your
goodness to everyone, a work that you began in her. We ask this in the names of Jesus and Mary.
Amen.
O my God, I will continue to perform all my actions for the love of You. Amen.
St. Julie, pray for us
May, 2013
The Tradition continues…
In 1806 a small group of Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur opened their first school. Bell in hand
the Sisters walked through the streets announcing that a new school was opening. Over two hundred
years later the tradition of Catholic education continues. St. Julie Billiart, foundress of the Sisters of
Notre Dame De Namur, urged her sisters, “Do all in the spirit of the good God.” Her spirit continues
today in the many works of the Sisters of Notre Dame throughout the world, but especially in the city of
Lawrence, Massachusetts. (1859).
Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School first opened its doors in August, 2004. Since then over 300
students have graduated and been accepted into college. As a Cristo Rey School, NDCRHS provides
students from inner-city Lawrence and the surrounding communities with a challenging and communityspirited learning environment with experience in the business and corporate sector where the students
earn a major portion of their tuition costs.
The dedication and commitment of the Sisters of Notre Dame through the inspiration of St. Julie
has enabled this journey to continue because of their commitment in personnel and in financial support.
We are grateful for this dedication and enduring commitment to education of youth.