Mission & Culture

Special efforts are made to teach the liturgical seasons and feasts of the Catholic Church, especially All Saints Day, Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and Corpus Christi.  Our patronal feast is the Queenship of Mary on August 22nd.

A school liturgy, which is planned by students and teachers working with the parish priest, is celebrated at least once per month during a 10:00 a.m. Sunday morning parish Mass.  Prayer services are planned and celebrated both by individual classes and by the school as a whole.  Parents/Guardians and the parish community are invited and welcome to attend and participate in all school religious celebrations.

Holy Mass begins each day as students and teachers direct their minds and hearts to God and offer Him their daily activities.  Teachers help students by witnessing God in their lives by prayer, example, and by guiding students in their awareness of God’s presence during each part of the day.

Prayer services, May Crowning, Stations of the Cross, celebration of religious feasts and praying the Rosary are planned by the teacher or by the faculty as a whole.  The classroom environment reflects Catholicity.  A crucifix, statue or picture of Mary, a bulletin board depicting a message of pious significance and/or a prayer corner with the Bible enthroned in a meaningful, prominent manner are all ways to this is accomplished.  Holy Water is available and is sometimes kept in the classroom for student and staff use.  Great care is taken that all devotional areas are kept neat, and clean and are treated with the utmost respect and reverence.

During daily Mass, students are reminded of appropriate conduct.  Respect for the Blessed Sacrament is carefully fostered.  Awareness of the sacredness of the altar is carefully fostered.  Awareness that the sanctuary and the nave of the church are places of prayer and worship is carefully fostered.

The formal study of the Catholic catechism, as well as curriculum which reflects Catholic values and traditions, are integral to our total education.  It is Queen of Peace Catholic School policy that all students, including non-Catholics, attend catechetical instruction, liturgies, and all ceremonies and prayer services.

The program of our school develops a culture in which each student learns an attitude of prayer, respect for the sanctity of all life, and awareness of the presence of God in our world.  We foster the knowledge and appreciation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the richness of Catholic teachings and traditions.

The primary objective of the program is to bring the child closer to Jesus Christ through traditional and spontaneous prayer experiences, modeled attitudes and behaviors that witness to the relevance of Church teaching and belief for every person, daily instruction in the Faith, Eucharistic liturgies, and paraliturgical services.  Peace and justice issues, Catholic social teaching, mission awareness, and Christian/community service projects are extensions of this thriving Catholic culture.

Preparation for the reception of the Sacraments is the primary responsibility of the parents/guardians in cooperation with Fr. Nelson and our 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Diane Evander.  Students in second grade receive information and insights about the Sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation.  The reception of these Sacraments is determined by the parents/guardians, Mrs. Evander, and Fr. Nelson.

First Penance and Communion preparation can also be procured outside the school curriculum, through the parish Religious Education program.  Diocesan policies on the reception of First Penance and Communion can be found in the Diocese of Duluth Curriculum Standards for Catechesis.  Stated guidelines for the reception of these Sacraments must be followed.