Pastoral Plan
2015-2016
PASTORAL PLAN
School Name:
School Mission Statement:
Saint Agnes School seeks to provide a school climate which fosters the Gospel
values, enabling our students to maximize their potential to love, learn, work
and serve as Jesus did.
School Motto:
Excellence and Co-operation
Pastoral Plan Links to Strategic Plan/Catholic Board Learning Plan:
 Link: Strategic Plan 2014-2019 Strategic System Plan
 Link: Catholic Board Learning Plan CBLP 2013-2016
Our Parish: St. Leonard
Pastor: Rev. Paul John Nosan
Parish website: n/a
Message from the Pastor:
“Our school is under the pastoral care of St. Leonard Parish. We encourage our families to register with
the parish, and to join us for Sunday mass Saturday at 5:00 PM and Sunday at 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM and
12:00 noon.”
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Pastoral Plan
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Message from the Catholic School Council:
St. Agnes School Council takes great pride in supporting the St. Agnes’ pastoral plan:
 Purchase religious items for recognition of sacraments;
 Help to organize and participate in the yearly Advent family celebration;
 Fundraise and help support school-wide activities; and
 Help to support families in need.
Catholic Education Week Theme: Opening the Doors to Mercy
Throughout Catholic Education Week, we ask you to reflect on the significance of Catholic education’s
presence and contribution in our Church, and in our society.
May 1 – 6, 2016 is Catholic Education Week.
Highlights of activities/ events planned for the week:
 Classroom activities
 School-wide liturgy
 Living Rosary
 Divine Mercy Chapel
 Announcements every day- student announce and talk about Spiritual Works of Mercy and the
Corporal Works of Mercy – suggestions on how they can show mercy to others
 Slide show/school dramatizations displaying spiritual and corporal works of mercy....
The Corporal Works of Mercy
 Feed the hungry
 Give drink to the thirsty
 Clothe the naked
 Shelter the homeless
 Visit the sick
 Visit the imprisoned
 Bury the dead
The Spiritual Works of Mercy
 Admonish the sinner
 Instruct the ignorant (This and the next work are extremely pertinent categories today, when
so many people are confused by what the Church teaches on contraception, abortion,
homosexuality, etc.)
 Counsel the doubtful
 Comfort the sorrowful
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Pastoral Plan
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Bear wrongs patiently
Forgive all injuries
Pray for the living and the dead
Faith Formation:
Forming ourselves in our Catholic faith is a foundational element in helping each of us
understand and live in the example of Christ.
Highlights of school activities that support both adult and student faith formation:
 School Masses
 Sacraments (Reconciliation, Holy Eucharist/First Communion and Confirmation)
 School liturgies & Virtues Assemblies
 Priest’s school visits
 Emphasis on the cultivation of Virtues in our student population
 Religion and Family Life curricula
 Morning announcements explaining highlights of Liturgical Calendar as well as good
Christian behavior; e.g. treat others as you would like to be treated/be kind to each
other
 School staff teach, and model virtues, such as forgiveness, kindness and other virtues
 School facilitates information about dates and times, requirements for receiving the
Sacraments and other information regarding our Faith Life as required
 Sacramental Retreats for First Holy Communion and Confirmation students
Sacramental Preparation:
As Catholics we understand sacraments to be "outward signs instituted by Christ to give grace."
Together in partnership with our parish, we support the preparation of God’s children in
receiving the sacraments.
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Pastoral Plan
Event
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Enrollment
First Holy Communion
Grade 2
Wednesday, February 4th.
Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 –
7:00pm
Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015 –
9:30am
Saturday, May 14, 201610:00am
Confirmation
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Grade 7 and 8
Weekend Masses – October
17/18 and November 21/22
Wednesday, April 13, 2016 –
7:00pm
Friday, April 8, 2016 - am
Confirmation Practice
Liturgical Celebrations:
The Liturgical calendar is marked by the gathering in community to celebrate the Eucharist and
share in prayer.
Celebration
Date
Masses:
Opening School Mass
October 6, 2015 – 1:30 pm – Church
Advent School Mass
December 2, 2015 – 10:00 am
Lenten School Mass
March 3, 2016 – 1:30 pm
Closing School Mass
June 24, 2016 – 10:30 am – School
Liturgies:
Remembrance Day Celebration
Evening Family Advent Celebration
Advent Liturgies
Ash Wednesday Liturgy
Stations of the Cross
Rosary Apostolate Crowning of Mary
Catholic Education Week – “Opening the
Doors to Mercy”
Grad Liturgy
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Pastoral Plan
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Social Justice / Outreach Activities / Charities:
Catholic Social Teachings of the Church root our actions in supporting human dignity and the
preferential option of the poor which calls us to serve the most vulnerable in the world.
Our school community demonstrates compassion and generosity in giving to others in need.
As a community of faith, we demonstrate our commitment to Jesus through helping the less
fortunate. Some of the ways in which we do this include: food drives, gifts for families in
need (at Christmas), United Way, ShareLife, Terry Fox Run, Shoe Box Drive.
Recognizing Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations:
Framed by the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations (OCSGE), our graduates will be
effective communicators, reflective thinkers, lifelong learners, collaborative contributors, caring
family members, responsible citizens and discerning believers formed in the Catholic faith
community.
To celebrate OCSGE, we as a school community….
 practice, model and expect OCSGE to be visible in our school community
Celebrating Virtues:
A virtue is a habit or established capacity to perform good actions according to a moral
standard. When we practice these virtues we strengthen them and thereby make the presence
of God more and more visible in the world around us.
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Pastoral Plan
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We have monthly assemblies….
 email, website and twitter message reminders
 daily announcement reminders
Visible Signs of our Faith:
Through symbol and service, we are instruments of God’s love whose work within our
communities stands as a witness to our faith.
Visible signs and symbols are displayed throughout the school as reminders of our Catholic
beliefs and traditions – at the office, front foyer display, halls and in the classrooms. These
include: Altar/Prayer Table, Bible, Candle, Crucifix, Stations of the Cross, Liturgical Season
Symbols, Advent Wreathes, Nativity Scene, and individual and collective student work on
liturgical seasons and sacramental themes.
Resource List for Parents:
 Religious Education Curriculum - Ontario Religious Education Curriculum
 Family Life Curriculum - Ontario Family Life Curriculum
 Fully Alive Program information - Ontario Bishops' information on Fully Alive
Resource List for Schools:
Board & School-Based
 Vocations Units
We have Vocations units as part of the Grades 2, 5, and 8 curriculum. The goal of these
supplementary units is to deepen one’s understanding of God’s call – the “vocare” – to various
forms of life within the Church.
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 History of the Parish
Through the resource book Our Story, Our Tradition, Our Journey, grade 7 students have the
opportunity to learn about the history of our parish.
 Enduring Gift Video
 The Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations
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