BENEDICTINE SERVICE AND IMMERSION

Love of neighbor, grounded in the love of God, and respect for the dignity of each person, is central to the teachings of Saint Benedict. Service is an expression of the Benedictine tradition of hospitality, which calls on all members of the community to welcome everyone as Jesus Christ (RB 53:1). This love, expressed in compassion and reverence for others, has the power to overcome injustice that often surrounds us and serves as the cornerstone of the Benedictine values that are fostered throughout our school community.   

The service program at Mount Michael Benedictine School is uniquely suited to fostering the values of a Benedictine education. As Saint Benedict advises in his Rule, “Let all guests who arrive be received as Christ, because He will say: ‘I was a stranger, and you took Me in’ (Mt 25:35).” At Mount Michael, we define service as face-to-face ministry to those outside of one’s family. Service must be unpaid work for an individual in need or volunteer work for a nonprofit community service organization/event.  

Service to others draws us out of ourselves and teaches us to respond to Christ’s call to “Love one another as I have loved you.” Serving others gives us the opportunity to put our faith into action and discover who we are. By making a sincere gift of ourselves to others, we fulfill the meaning of our existence, discover true personal happiness, and contribute to genuine social progress. The goal is to cultivate a lifelong commitment to Christian service in imitation of Jesus who went to the margins to serve the most poor and vulnerable.

1. Service Hours for Mount Michael must be completed face to face serving those most in need, at a parish/school, or through a nonprofit community service organization. For ideas on approved organizations, see the list on the Mount Michael website. Students are also encouraged to serve with their peers. Campus Ministry can help students find sites to serve together. 
2. Christian service is an expression of Christian charity, which is informed by the wisdom of God as given to us in revelation. Consequently, any activity not in accord with Catholic teaching is not Christian service and will not be given credit. 
3. Signature for service completed should be obtained promptly (the day of or within two weeks of completing the service). The signature should come from an adult and cannot be a parent or family member.  
4. We will hold periodic reflection sessions for the students to share experiences and to reflect with one another on the value to those they serve and to themselves from participation in the program. 
5. No more than half of the service requirement may be completed through activities associated with Mount Michael. We encourage students to find a balance between serving at a parish/school, person-to-person volunteer organizations, and with animals/environment. 
6. Prior approval must be obtained from the Campus Ministry department for individual activities totaling over 20 hours. 
7. Hours must be reported through the MobileServe App (information forthcoming) during the school year in which it was performed.
8. To be eligible for academic honors (including the Dean’s List and admission to the National Honor Society) or for service trips at Mount Michael, students must be current of their documented service hours. To be current, students should have the following: 

• • Freshmen: 5 hours at the end of the Fall semester, 15 hours at the end of the Spring semester. 
  • Sophomores: 25 hours by the end of the Fall semester, 40 hours by the end of the Spring semester. 
  • Juniors: 50 hours by the end of the Fall semester, 65 hours by the end of the Spring semester. 
  • Seniors: 80 hours by the end of the Fall semester, 100 hours by the end of the Spring semester. 
  • Students who transfer to Mount Michael after the first semester of their freshmen year will be credited with the prorated number of hours for the semester they enter, or they may submit documented hours from their previous school. 

Reporting hours of service that were not actually performed, or otherwise falsifying information on service reports, will result in student disciplinary action and potentially the assignment of additional service requirements.  

• Service completed during the summer months must be reported by September 1. 
• Service during the first semester must be reported by the start of Christmas break. 
• Service during the second semester must be reported by the return of Spring Break for Seniors and June 1 for all underclassmen. 

2022 PHOTOS

After a hiatus from immersion trips, Mount Michael was able to take students on three mission trips to Norfolk, Winnebago/Macy, and Schuyler.

Norfolk — Our mission trip to Norfolk provides us the opportunity to work with a missionary community of Benedictine Sisters. They have missions all over the world that serve marginalized communities. Their community works with Mercy Meals and during the trip, Mount Michael students helped package over 5,000 dried food meals for the needy of the world.

Winnebago/Macy — This trip allows our students to learn from and with the Winnebago and Omaha Native American Tribes. St. Augustine Mission was founded by Saint Katherine Drexel and the Benedictine sisters of Norfolk also do mission work in the area. While there, Mount Michael students met the grandson of Susan la Fleche — the very first Native American female doctor and helped in the classrooms of St. Augustine Mission.

Schuyler — Our trip to Schuyler involves another Missionary community, Christ the King Priory of Schuyler, besides operating a large Retreat House these Benedictines raise funds for their missions all over the world.

2021 PHOTOS

This year, our students participated in a local Nebraska pilgrimage during Spring Break. The pilgrimage included visiting Mount Michael’s chapel, St. Patrick’s in Fremont, Christ the King Mission House and Retreat Center in Schuyler, St. Bonaventure in Columbus, St. Michael’s in Tarnov, St. Francis of Assisi in Humphrey and finally visiting the Poor Clare Monastery on the north edge of Mount Michael.

2019 PHOTOS

Our students began the week in Winnebago, Nebraska working with the Winnebago and Omaha tribes and the clergy of the St. Augustine Parish and Mission. Our work consisted of cleaning up the Church in Macy, setting up a thrift store, painting, and cleaning and stocking the food pantry.  

We also traveled to Norfolk and stayed at Immaculata Monastery. We worked with Mercy Meals to help measure and pack meals that would be sent around the world to those in most need. We were able to prepare over 4,000 meals. 

Our final part of the trip was a visit to St. Francis of Assisi Church in Humphrey, Nebraska where we visited the Franciscans.  

2018 PHOTOS

During Spring Break, Mount Michael offers the opportunity for our students to visit other Benedictine houses in Nebraska to work alongside their ministries and communities.  

This year we worked with the Omaha and Winnebago tribes in the Winnebago/Macy area, visited the Immaculate Conception Abbey near Maryville, Missouri, and spent time in Schuyler, Nebraska at Christ the King Priory where we worked to help upkeep the rooms at the retreat center.