Holy Cross School is blessed to have a dedicated educational team that is focused on providing the best possible quality of Catholic education. The goal of Catholic education is to support, include, and value all students, from all faith backgrounds who attend our school so that they come to know and walk their own faith journeys. A sense of community is present in this school and it builds harmony, understanding, and a common acceptance within the school community and the larger Catholic community.
"Catholic education is above all, a question of communicating Christ, of helping to form Christ in the lives of others." John Paul II
Holy Cross Parish
Holy Cross Parish was established in 1922 and is the first established English-speaking church in St. Boniface, Man. Due to the growing number of English-speaking Catholic families within the Parish and community, Holy Cross Parish was instrumental in establishing a Parochial school in 1925. Holy Cross School receives the guidance of Pastor Fr. Peter Krasuski, PSS of Holy Cross Parish. His dedication to the education of students at the school is focused first and foremost on the well-being of the child and building a foundation of the teachings of Christ in their daily lives.
To learn more about the parish, visit: www.holycrossparish.ca.
Students in Grades 7 and 8 each participate in retreats, which are based on the Religious Education Program. The retreats involve students in a liturgical celebration, as well as in discussion and consideration of their relationship with God, their families and each other.
At the start of each school year, Grade 7 Students participate in a one-day retreat held at St. Boniface Cathedral. During this summit, students develop a further understanding and appreciation of their faith and are given the opportunity to consider their own personal and moral development. Students also are encouraged to use this time to get to know each other further and develop a sense of community.
Each June, Grade 8 Students participate in a retreat. This retreat aims to solidify students’ faith as they prepare for a new journey in life: high school. The retreat is also designed to allow students to meet together in prayer as well as discussion and consideration of their relationship with God and others.
All teachers at Holy Cross are involved in the religious education of all students, either through example and/or by teaching. Students from Kindergarten through Grade 8 receive religious instruction as part of their curriculum.
Students are encouraged to learn about and practice their faith by attending mass, liturgy services, retreats, praise and worship music, and participating in activities based on the liturgical seasons of the year.
Holy Cross School gathers in a school-wide Mass at Holy Cross Church. Masses occur at several points throughout the Liturgical Year and several feast days are celebrated, such as the Feast of the Holy Cross in September to begin the school year, Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day, the Season of Advent, the Season of Christmas, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and the end of the school year. These celebrations vary from a Eucharistic Liturgy to a Liturgy of the Word.
Students in Grades 3 to 8 are involved in reconciliation services at least twice during the school year. Usually, these services are organized during the seasons of Advent and Lent. Kindergarten, Grade 1 and 2 students participate in a celebration of their own based on the religious event(s) of the season.
This is a special week highlighting the importance of Catholic education. The school organizes special activities focusing on community building and faith formation.
Holy Cross School has a special program titled Harvest Days. One day a month everyone in the school community is asked to bring a specific item for the poor. The food items are collected and distributed through Winnipeg Harvest or through the Holy Cross Parish Food Bank.
Grade 7 and 8 students volunteer at the Holy Cross Parish Food Bank. Each Wednesday a group of three or four students participate in the program from 8:30 to 11:00.
As part of Holy Cross School’s outreach program. the school coordinates a plan to have a large number of organizations throughout Manitoba collect pop-can tabs. These tabs are recycled to provide funds for a wheelchair for a handicapped student in Manitoba.