Works of Mercy Program

"Then the just will ask him: 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or see you thirsty and give you drink? When did we welcome you away from home or clothe you in your nakedness? When did we visit you when you were ill or in prison?' The King will answer then: 'I assure you, as often as you did it for one of my least brothers, you did it for me." (Mt. 25:37-40)

The Works of Mercy are acts of love, or ways we humans can care for each others' bodily and spiritual needs. These acts help our students to grow in virtue and are ways to show our love for Christ by helping His own images. Since we have both bodies and souls—and both require care—the works of mercy are divided into two categories: corporal (bodily) works of mercy and spiritual works of mercy.

The Notre Dame Works of Mercy program is a compulsory part of Christian Ethics classes from Grades 9-12. Each student is responsible for completing 10 hours of 'works of mercy'. Every Thursday, leaving after assembly, Notre Dame will take 14 students by van into Regina. The students will be dropped off at Sacred Heart school, St. Augustine's school or DeShaye Catholic school - all elementary schools. Our students will serve by assisting the teachers. Some of the assignments will include helping a student with his/her reading, spelling or arithmetic. Notre Dame students are at these schools from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. The van transports the students back to campus. Students miss Periods 1 through 3 on the day of their visit. This single trip counts for five hours. All Notre Dame students are excused from classes one time per year for the Works of Mercy van run into Regina. The remaining five of the 10 required hours must be obtained through the students' own initiative. The Christian Ethics teacher must be consulted about which work of mercy the student is doing and how many hours it counts for.

The following list is an example of some of the works of mercy that students can get involved in:

  1. Terry Fox Run (4.5 miles) - 1 hour (short course - .5 hour)
  2. CNIB - canvassing for the blind - 5 hours
  3. Singing in the choir @ Mass - 1 hour/x
  4. Serving at Mass - 1 hour/x
  5. Lector at Mass - 1 hour/x
  6. Usher at Mass - .5 hour/x
  7. Overhead at Mass - .5 hour/x
  8. Blood runs - 3 hours/x
  9. Youth soccer coach/youth hockey coach/gymnastics coach/umpiring baseball - calculate hours
  10. Food bank/clothing drive - calculate hours
  11. ND student/staff hockey game volunteers - 1 hour
  12. Various 'Hounds for Humanity' activities - calculate hours
  13. Shovelling snow, raking leaves etc. for the elderly (not for ND staff or parents) - calculate hours

The Spiritual Works of Mercy:
  1. Admonish the sinner
  2. Instruct the innocent
  3. Counsel the doubtful
  4. Comfort the sorrowful
  5. Bear wrongs patiently
  6. Forgive all injuries
  7. Pray for the living and the dead
     The Corporal Works of Mercy:
  1. Feed the hungry
  2. Give drink to the thirsty
  3. Clothe the naked
  4. Visit the imprisoned
  5. Shelter the homeless
  6. Visit the sick
  7. Bury the dead

Grading:

  1. The Works of Mercy mark is worth 10% of the final Christian Ethics mark
    1. 5% of the mark will be for hours completed
    2. 5% of the mark will be for the completion of a two-page formal typed paper
  2. Both the hours and paper should be completed no later than the end of semester of the current school year
  3. Marks will be deducted for lack of hours, incomplete log records and sloppy or incomplete papers
  4. Formal papers should include where the student went, what he/she did and a reflection on the experience