Category Archives: Spirit and Community

A Message from the President

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Dear Chaminade family,
With so much trauma in our area, let us be of one heart and hold on to our hope. Please join me in prayer for those in our Chaminade community who have suffered a significant loss due to the fires:

Loving Father,

Today we ask Your blessing and protection for the Chaminade family, especially those directly impacted by the fire. We stand in solidarity with all victims of loss as we struggle to find ways to show others the reason for our hope.

Educating in the Marianist Family Spirit is about creating a “home away from home;” a feeling of “place” that extends the boundaries of our four walls to include our neighbors, our beloved school, and its families. With Family Spirit as our mantra, in God’s name let us pray for and comfort each other during this time of great need.

May we be hope for our families who are stretched and suffering. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Communication will continue as the overall damages are assessed. Please continue to monitor your emails, the Chaminade website, and social media for updates.

God Bless,
Rob Webb P ’18 ’20

Share your All Souls’ Day Prayer Request with the Chaminade Marianist Community

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All Souls’ Day, November 2, is a day to remember family and friends who have been called by God to that eternal life we all hope to share.  Each year during this season, the Chaminade Marianist community invites you to submit the names of your deceased family and friends (please include the class year of deceased alumni.) The Marianists will place these names on the altar in their community chapel and remember them while celebrating the Eucharist throughout November.

The Marianist community is privileged to minister to you through this on-going Chaminade tradition.

Please CLICK HERE to fill out the form with the names of your deceased loved ones.

Celebrating Respect Life Month

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“Today, we remember Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Animals and the environment. He cared for the poor, the sick, and all creation…” said Mrs. Kate Beskid ’00 on Thursday, October 4, kicking off Respect Life Month at Blessing of the Animals on the Chatsworth campus.

 

Eight miles away, on the West Hills campus students, faculty, and staff celebrated Respect Life Month with a special Mass and candlelight procession. “At the deepest level of our being,”  said Bro. Adam Becerra “there is a thriving force that holds power, wisdom, love, and grace. And that thriving force, is God communicating all that God is, so that we may thrive to be who we were created to be.”

As a Catholic, Marianist school, Chaminade’s CME of Service, Justice, and Peace teaches students to promote the dignity of human life from conception to natural death and to respect creation.  Every October, Chaminade Joins the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to celebrate Respect Life month as one human family and put our faith into action.

Throughout October, Chaminade will emphasize Catholic Social Teaching (CST) principles in the classroom to help develop students’ awareness of the contemporary issues in their world that directly relate to:

  • The Dignity of Human Life
  • Call to Family, Community, and Participation
  • Rights and Responsibilities
  • Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
  • The Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers
  • Solidarity
  • Stewardship (Protecting Creation)

The Chatsworth campus will also hold a Respect Life Mass on Monday, October 15 at 9:15 a.m. in the Fr. Allen Delong Center for Arts and Athletics.

 

Middle School Students Give Back on Service Saturday

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At Hope of the Valley Thrift Shop, students organized the donations that are used to help the homeless get a new start in life.

On Saturday, September 22, Campus Ministry at Chaminade’s middle school campus hosted its second annual Service Saturday. Service is a big part of the Chaminade experience, and through the Apostolic Works program, student’s missionary spirit leads them to give direct service to those in need through various methods of outreach. Service Saturday was an opportunity for students to put their Apostolic Works Commissioning into action and become agents of change.

At the Pregnancy Counseling Clinic, volunteers worked on prepping, stuffing and boxing baby bottles for upcoming baby bottle drives.

At the West Valley Food Pantry Garden, students helped with weeding and resetting the beds for the Fall planting.

More than 200 students, parents, faculty, and staff met at the Chatsworth campus for breakfast and prayer service before heading out to their destinations.

Volunteers served ten organizations and collectively performed more than 400 service hours. “I really enjoyed working alongside students and parents as a participant of Service Saturday,” said middle school principal, Michael Valentine.  “It was a great opportunity to give back to our local community and bond together with members of our Chaminade family.”

Each service group had a fantastic experience serving their local community while discovering an appreciation for their dignity and self-worth, as well as the dignity and self-worth of others. “I would say this experience opened our eyes to the love and friendship that can be formed when we all come together as one family and share our gifts with each other,” says middle school parent Melissa Mandyam. “It was just a wonderful day that we will never forget.”

Volunteers joined Tree People and assisted with cleaning up the environment, watering, removing invasive species, and planting seedlings in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Students Commissioned to be Agents of Change

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Blessed William Joseph Chaminade said, “We are all missionaries, and we consider ourselves on a permanent mission.” In September, high school and middle school students were commissioned to start or continue their journey of service in a special Apostolic Works Commissioning Mass held on each campus. Throughout each Mass, the message was clear, as a community we must continue the mission of the apostles and follow in the path of Mary and become agents of change.

“No matter what type of service you choose, no matter what organization you help, you are making a difference to someone,” said Chaminade student Gia Frank ’23 during her presentation at the middle school Mass. Frank continued to reflect upon her first experiences as a fifth-grader visiting Chaminade for the first time and how one student recognized her trepidation and made an effort to make her feel welcomed. “I just came here in search of a school, but I found a home and family I didn’t know was missing from m­­y life. I have witnessed the power of God’s love through this community, and it is a powerful thing.”

The Mass was not only a call to action but also a reminder that God has blessed us all with unique talents and gifts to help one another. “If there is one thing God gave you that is powerful and cannot be overlooked, it’s your voices. What you do well, and what you are passionate about, is what makes you special. It is what makes you…you, and it is what makes you a servant leader.”

The Apostolic Works Service Learning Program is rooted in the Catholic, Marianist tradition of being in alliance with Mary’s mission: to nurture Christ in others and communities to transform the world by giving service to those in need through various methods of outreach. It empowers students to discern their gifts and apply them to organizations that expose them to life situations different from their own to become agents of change. From middle school through high school, students will experience a progressive growth in their responsibility of service from one grade level to the next. The program also spurs students to question why service and transformation are necessary, what changes have to be made, who needs to be served, what motivations move one to serve, and how adaptations and changes might be practically affected. Students discover an opportunity to connect the knowledge or skill they learn in a classroom with how it can be used to help others or transform conditions in their community.

Click here if you would like to read Gia Frank’s full reflection.