Campus Ministry

In the spirit of St Dominic, the Rosary High School community embraces the pillars of prayer, study, preaching, and community as we respond to the mystery of God’s providence:

St Dominic…had an unusual talent for fitting in,
for adapting himself to circumstances and people
and especially to the needs of his contemporaries…
he yielded himself faithful and with the utmost generosity
to the mysterious dictates of providence.
Saint Dominic,  Simon Tugwell,  O.P., 1995

Campus Ministry Office
Campus Ministry is committed to serving the pastoral needs of the Rosary community and partners with families to encourage students to grow as young women of faith. The Campus Minister, Mrs. Sandy Iwanski, can be reached at 896-0831 ext.30 or by email.

Weekday Mass
Students, staff and their families are invited to join the sisters in the Rosary convent chapel for 6:45 a.m. mass on every school day. You can reach the chapel through the main convent entrance, which faces the parking lot.

Daily Prayer
We depend on prayer’s rhythm to shape our day at Rosary. At the start of 7th hour the entire community stands and prays in one voice. All classes begin with prayer and teachers are attentive to sharing a variety of prayer forms with students. Students at every grade level have the opportunity to plan and lead classroom prayer experiences as well as take leadership roles in all-school services.

Community Prayer – Eucharistic Liturgy and Prayer Services
Our school community mirrors the prayer celebrations of the larger Catholic community. Holy Days of Obligation and other significant occasions—the beginning of the school year and Catholic Schools Week, for example—are marked by an all-school Eucharistic liturgy. Students receive formation to enable them to serve as lectors, cantors, liturgical coordinators, ministers of hospitality, Eucharistic ministers, altar servers, musicians, and liturgical dancers. Students are recruited for these roles through our annual Time and Talent signup in the fall. Service as a Eucharistic Minister is reserved for seniors.

In addition to Eucharistic liturgy, the entire school regularly gathers for prayer. These events mark special days in our community: October’s all-school rosary, November’s Thanksgiving service, the lighting of our Advent wreath, Ash Wednesday, our Holy Week service, May Crowning, and the Senior blessing ceremony are part of every year.

Families are always welcome guests when we gather to pray. All prayer services are listed in the school calendar; Eucharistic Liturgies begin at 10:00 am in the auditorium. Please join us!

Liturgy of the Word with Communion
Rosary students, faculty, and staff appreciate a weekly opportunity to receive Holy Communion when they are unable to attend daily mass. Every Friday, at the beginning of each lunch period, our foyer prayer space is the setting for Liturgy of the Word with Communion. Senior students, who have been commissioned for service as Eucharistic Ministers by the bishop of the Diocese of Rockford, serve as leaders for this liturgical service. Family members are always welcomed guests. 

Grade-Level Retreats
Students at all grade levels participate in a day-long retreat. These retreats are facilitated by the Senior Retreat Team and include opportunities for prayer, witness, and small group sharing.  All retreat permission forms will be available on our Forms & Publications webpage once the retreat date approaches.

KAIROS Retreat
Seniors may experience a KAIROS in November and February. Second-semester juniors are invited to participate in a KAIROS retreat in April. The KAIROS is a national Catholic retreat program, which provides students with an extended opportunity to examine their relationship with God, their families, and their peers. The three-and-a-half-day format includes witness talks by adult and student team members, prayer, small group sharing, and opportunities for quiet reflection. All KAIROS forms are available online near the retreat date(s).

Service
The Dominican perspective that we preach with our lives is reflected in our commitment to service.  Students at all grade levels are expected to offer community service to a recognized charitable (not-for-profit) organization. Each year, a minimum of ten hours of service is required. Students are encouraged to explore the needs of their local communities and to discover ways they can make a difference. A complete description of this service requirement can be found in the Rosary High School Handbook. A brochure of service agencies is available in Theology classes and is posted on the service bulletin board. As we become aware of additional opportunities they are posted on the bulletin board as well. Service hours forms are included in the student handbook and on the Forms & Publications webpage.

Senior Retreat Team
This retreat team is composed of seniors who are leaders in school, family, church, and community. The SRT meets weekly for leadership formation and is responsible for planning and facilitating all the grade-level retreats as well as assisting at Eucharistic liturgy and prayers services. Members of this team also lead many special events, including Big Sister/Little Sister and the fall 8th Grade Event. Selection for SRT membership is by application in May of junior year.

Bridges Groups
During Advent and Lent, students, faculty and staff “brown bag” lunch and gather in small groups during lunch periods. Students and adults share leadership in Bridges groups as they consider Scripture and questions appropriate to the season. Signup for Bridges takes place just before Advent and Lent.

Dominican Preachers
Each summer, students from Dominican high schools across the country gather for a week of prayer, leadership development, and service. Rosary High School sponsors four students each summer for this Dominican experience. The Dominican Preachers meet twice each month and are proactive about incorporating the Dominican charism of preaching in the life of our school. Selection for attendance at the summer conference is by application in May of sophomore year. Students who attend the conference agree to serve as a Dominican Preacher during junior and senior year.

Prayer Book
A school prayer book is displayed in our foyer prayer space. Everyone is invited to write their prayer intentions and the community remembers these special prayers at the start of each day as we pray for “…the prayers written in our school prayer book and the prayers we hold in the quiet of our hearts …” If your family has a particular prayer request we encourage your daughter to include it in our book.