The CMEs
As an Archdiocesan school sponsored by the Marianists, we strive to instill the five Characteristics of Marianist Education in everything that we do.
Educate For Formation in Faith
Young people need to find a meaning for life that will direct them in their daily activities, that will stimulate their practice of personal values, and that will develop their faith. With our mission of forming others in faith, we help youth with the search for meaning, enable them to recognize and welcome the sacred, and guide them toward contemplating the good, the true, and the beautiful. With simplicity and humility, Marianist educators, personal models of prayer and of love, bear witness to the faith their schools propose.
Provide an Integral, Quality Education
The Marianist school educates the whole person, developing the individual’s physical, psychological, intellectual, moral, social and creative qualities. Students in Marianist schools cultivate their personal talents, nourishing the desire and acquiring the skills that will equip them to be learners all their lives. The Marianist educational philosophy favors the development of quality institutions which promote a solid liberal arts education and combine it with professional and technical education as the needs of their students require.
Educate in Family Spirit
We are the Cougar Family! Everyone has a place at Gross Catholic. By providing a climate of acceptance, discipline and love, the school acts as a second family, fostering human growth and maturity. All members of the school community share the responsibility to create and sustain an environment in which can flourish beauty, simplicity, harmony, discipline, and creativity. When this responsibility is faithfully fulfilled, the result benefits and educates all its participants.
Educate for Service, Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation
Blessed Chaminade, the founder of the Marianists said, “We are all missionaries and we consider ourselves on a permanent mission” witnessing the Good News of Jesus Christ. We carry out this mission not only in the classroom, but equally in activities such as retreats, days of recollection, youth groups, catechesis, social service, meetings with parents of students, and extracurricular formation programs. Faith inspires us to service, and the Marianist school helps its students hear and respond to that call. Such service and reflection on the experience acquaints students with their local communities and creates the sensitivity and skills they need for future leadership.
Educate for Adaptation and Change
“New times call for new methods,” Chaminade said. The Marianist school faces the future calmly, balancing acceptance and adaptation. Fulfilling the school’s mission in changing times requires that school personnel employ new kinds of learning and new technologies to enhance their administration and teaching. Our intention is not acquiescence to the future, but the hope-filled shaping of it. We encourage the same attitude in our students, educating them to be bearers of the best of our tradition, and to meet change actively with discernment and reflection. We view the signs of our times in faith, prayerfully open to their possibilities.
-Taken from the Characteristics of Marianist Education document.