Christian Service

 

Service is integral to Christian witness.  In addition to being encouraged to serve their fellow classmates and community at school, Oratory students participate in numerous service opportunities. Locally, we serve SHIP (Summit Helping its People), the NJ Food Bank of Hillsdale, Bridges, Covenant House, and many others based on the need.  Beyond our immediate community, our students have organized activities to help benefit those internationally, for instance collecting backpacks for children in Haiti and school supplies for children in Guatemala.  

 

Many of our service activities are created by the our students who conceive of the ideas and execute the events themselves. Oratory students are encouraged to look at the world around them and see where they can make a difference. They have been recognized for their outstanding service by organizations they serve. All Oratory students are encouraged to serve in some way, whether it be with their family, their church or at Oratory.

 

 

**Permission forms for service trips can be found on this page at least two weeks before the trip date.

 

 

 

 

 

Empty Bowls is an annual charity event at Oratory that brings awareness to food scarcity and hunger around the world by sharing in a simple meal with our community. Throughout the school year, Oratory students, faculty and staff make handcrafted bowls. The day of the event, each student or faculty member that takes part in Empty Bowls will receive a handcrafted bowl, the soup of their choice with bread, a bottle of water, and an Empty Bowls T-shirt. All donations are given to a local organization that fights hunger in our community. Previously, Oratory has supported both Bridges and the Food Bank of NJ with the proceeds of this event.

 

When: TBA

 

 

Each summer, a group of students and faculty attend the Urban Challenge program offered through Romero Center Ministries in Camden, NJ.  The Urban Challenge Program is an urban, service-learning, immersion experience rooted in the Catholic faith tradition. Students spend the week in Camden serving various places and people, including kids, homeowners, the elderly and others based on the current needs. The Urban Challenge Program is comprised of three fundamental components: faith, service, and community. By emphasizing these components, the hope is that participants will take action on behalf of the poor and vulnerable, long after participants have left the Romero Center.

 

To read more about the Romero Center and the Urban Ministries program, check out http://romero-center.org/urban-challenge/

 

Where: Romero Center Ministries, Camden, NJ

When: T.B.A.