From requirement to opportunity
Olivia Wolf and Jack Bachman at Holy Trinity Catholic School. (NTC/Juan Guajardo)
Jesus said His followers will be known if they love one another. Loving like Jesus as a Catholic Christian means offering our lives for the good of others. In doing so, we become witnesses of God’s love.
To help diocesan school students understand and embrace Jesus’ call to live generously and sacrificially, they are required to complete service hours each year. Middle school students fulfill 6-25 hours, depending on the school and grade level. Nolan Catholic High School (NCHS) students must finish 75 service hours prior to graduation.
Starting in fifth grade, students are encouraged to serve their school, parish, and community. The goal of required service hours is “to guide them to put their faith into action,” said Jackie Cummings, a Holy Trinity Catholic School (HTCS) Religion teacher. “We encourage them to use their gifts and talents to create value for someone else. Students are reminded to live out the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy every day and make it a habit.”
Olivia Wolf, a 6th grader at HTCS, earns hours through altar serving and proclaiming the Word during Mass at Good Shepherd Catholic Community. She also participates in park clean-ups parks and volunteers at Clothes Connection, a nonprofit in Haltom City that provides clothing to local students in need. “I enjoy serving others who don’t have as much as I do and giving back to the community because the community has done so much for me,” Wolf said.
Andrew Soyer, an 8th grade student at St. Andrew Catholic School, has happy memories of serving with his family last summer when they attended a Family Volunteer Camp at his parents’ alma mater, the University of Notre Dame. They volunteered at a community garden, food bank, assisted senior living facility, and a Montessori school. Soyer said what he likes best about serving is “the feeling that you did something good for others; that it was helpful and impactful. I also like serving with others who have the same goal to make a difference.”
Jack Bachman is an 8th grade student at HTCS with an array of volunteer experiences. He has delivered food with his grandfather for Meals on Wheels, buddy-climbed with special needs children with United Rocks, cleaned at a crisis maternity home called In My Shoes, and prepped nonperishable meal kits for Feed My Starving Children.
His favorite activity is working at the Tarrant County Food Bank each year with people from his dad’s workplace. “It’s just special when you have that time with your father and 200 people from his work and you see them come together to do this service they didn’t have to do,” Bachman said. “It makes me have faith that there are good things in the world. It’s also just fun too.”
Cummings said the fruit of the service requirements become evident over time. “Our 8th graders can see the benefit of serving others. Many share that they enjoy the service and engage in it because they like giving back and not because it meets a requirement.”
“Once you’re done with a service and take a moment to think about what you’ve done, it gives you a good feeling in your heart,” Bachman said. “You know that you’ve done something important that’s worth your time instead of wasting it on other things.”
Soyer believes the service requirement has deepened his faith. “We are called by God to serve, respect others, and treat others kindly,” he said. “Service has helped me see how privileged I am. It’s helped me to see how many blessings God has given me.”
Natalie Hamilton, a 9th grade student at NCHS, volunteers at Stepping Stones Thrift Boutique in Keller, a local thrift store that provides free clothing for low-income children. “One time there was a family whose house had burned down and they asked me to pick out clothes for a 12-year old girl,” she said. “It was a very personal experience for me because I knew that someone was struggling and I [was having] a direct impact.”
Nolan Catholic’s motto is Esto Dux, which is Latin for “Be a leader.” NCHS Senior Marianne Hall has enjoyed numerous servant-leader opportunities there: summer sports camps, Eucharistic minister, ambassador, and retreat team leader. She plans to continue serving while at Benedictine College. “I really want to help others in need, share my story, and share my faith life with them,” she said, hoping to someday join a mission trip.
Owen Atkinson, also an NCHS senior, said volunteering has strengthened his faith. Atkinson’s interest in service went beyond Nolan’s 75-hour requirement. For completing 200+ service hours, he will be honored with a special cord to wear at graduation. “That's not just an academically challenging thing to do, it takes your time,” he said. “I'm really happy that Nolan does that kind of thing.” Atkinson plans to attend Baylor University in the fall and hopes to start a Catholic men’s Bible study group there.
Christian life requires us to love in a way that imitates our Master through a life of generous and sacrificial service. For diocesan school students, what may start as a “have to” service requirement becomes a “get to” opportunity as they live out their faith and evangelize through their actions.