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Pastoral Counseling
As students grow and struggle with their faith, their relationships with God, the church, and other issues of concern, the campus minister is available to talk through these times of change and growth. Students may drop in, be invited, or be referred by parents or teachers to the Office of Campus Ministry.
As students grow and struggle with their faith, their relationships with God, the church, and other issues of concern, the campus minister is available to talk through these times of change and growth. Students may drop in, be invited, or be referred by parents or teachers to the Office of Campus Ministry.
Peer Ministry
Peer Ministry is not a club, but rather the means to the Spiritual presence in our school. The peer ministers help with all aspects of campus ministry: school liturgies, prayer services, Eucharistic ministers, retreats and service outreach. The mission of this group is to live, love, and serve with the heart of Jesus Christ. Many people believe that the youth are the future, but the youth are present today, they are a vital part of our Church, and Peer Ministry is a way for our students to experience this reality and to be Christ to one another.
Students who have joined Peer Ministry have answered the call to be dedicated to that mission of living, loving, and serving with the heart of Jesus Christ at Cardinal Newman, at their home parishes, in their homes, and in their civic communities. By responding to the call of Christ Peer Ministers have shown that they have prioritized their faith and come to the realization that Christ needs them today to be light and life for others.
Each year selected upperclassmen are chosen to assist with the retreats of underclassmen. Juniors are also prepared to lead next year’s juniors on the Kairos retreats. These experiences provide positive peer role models for younger students as well as allow the students time to share with one another in areas of faith, self-image and growth in relationships.
Peer Mediation
Peer Mediation, a form of conflict resolution, is one of the most recently launched programs at Cardinal Newman.
Peer Mediation allows trained student mediators to help other students resolve disagreements. Conflict is a natural part of life and a reality that we each face every day. Our goal at Cardinal Newman is to help empower our students to learn to resolve these struggles in positive, peaceful ways.
Mediation is a structured process for resolving disputes. It is not about finding out who is right or wrong. The trained mediators act as a catalyst to help their peers sort out their problems, without taking sides or passing judgment. Mediators do not tell the disputants in a conflict what to do but are trained to help generate solutions in a non-threatening environment. They help parties to face their problems and express their feelings towards each other in a non-aggressive manner.
Mediation will occur when an incident is brought to the attention of the peer mediation program through a referral from a student, faculty or staff member. That referral or request will come to me as moderator of the program. If both disputants in a conflict agree to mediation then two suited student mediators will be selected and a faculty member arranged for that particular mediation. The two peer mediators and the two disputant antes will go into conference while the faculty member waits outside the room.
It is the goal of the mediators to help both parties arrive at an arrangement where neither feels that have lost. They walk away content with the resolution (not necessarily friends) thus developing a "win-win" situation.
phone | 803-782-2814
fax | 803-782-9314
fax | 803-782-9314