Campus Life
The spiritual, intellectual, physical, and social formation of students is visible in every aspect of school life. Teaching techniques, coaching practices, and student activities are developed using three fundamental Catholic tenets: community, faith development, and learning.
Campus Life at Juan Diego represents both an organizational structure and a renewed commitment to enrich the journeys of faith for all who are involved in Juan Diego Catholic High School. Our mission is to create opportunities for all members of our community to experience the school’s motto—Spiritus Donorum—the “Spirit of Giving,” in a truly personal and transformational way. Our goal within Campus Life is to bring our community closer to one another and their faith through prayer; celebrating the Eucharist together; teaching and living the themes of social justice; and participating in class and group retreats, service programs, and our Campus Life Student Leadership opportunities.
Retreats
All students are given the opportunity to experience a variety of retreats over the course of their four years. These days of special prayer, reflection, and discussion are planned specifically for each grade level. Freshman retreat experiences focus on building community within their class while learning about the history and charism of Juan Diego. Sophomore retreats focus on discerning their contribution to the community of Juan Diego and to the larger community. The experience of being able to tell one’s story and to appreciate the story of others captures our junior retreat.
Our seniors are all given the opportunity to attend and experience KAIROS, a unique and profound four-day retreat that explores our relationship with ourselves and with God. The retreat program grows and evolves annually.
Rites & Rituals
The annual rites and rituals of JDCHS are important elements in the school’s calendar. These rituals create an outward expression of our commitment to excellence, community, and living the school’s motto, Spiritus Donorum. The annual sequence of these rites also includes all the honors that are provided to our graduating classes. Each year the official rites and rituals of Juan Diego are crafted, as they have been every year since the school began. New rites are added only after discernment about their long-lasting contribution to our campus.
The Rites and Rituals include:
- The Baccalaureate Mass
- Commencement Exercises
- The Bishop’s Mass
- The Junior Rite of Commissioning
- The Feast of Saint Juan Diego
Service
Our service program is reflective of our school motto, Spiritus Donorum (Spirit of Giving), which reflects the example of our patron, Saint Juan Diego, and our benefactors, Sam and Aline Skaggs, whose selfless giving allows the students of Juan Diego Catholic High School to be socially responsible and to answer the call to be a person of compassion, respect, reverence, and justice.
Over the course of four years at Juan Diego, each student is asked to complete a significant number of service hours, which are required for a Juan Diego diploma. We encourage students to seek out direct service opportunities that serve the marginalized of our greater Salt Lake community, especially the poor, sick, hungry, elderly, developmentally or physically challenged, and youth. Service should be performed without compensation, at a nonprofit, people-helping agency, or at an organization whose mission is to directly assist the disadvantaged, homeless, hungry, sick, developmentally or physically challenged, children, or elderly of our community, and whose mission would otherwise suffer without community support. Service completed in an educational setting or at a place of worship is also recommended.
Seniors participate in the Senior Service Project, an immersion in service for a full week in the beginning of January. Seniors do not attend classes during this week but spend this time working directly with a variety of agencies that partner with JDCHS on this program.
Student Body Officers, Class Officers, and Class Senate:
These elected and appointed student leaders are responsible for a variety of activities throughout the year including many of the iconic high school experiences such as Homecoming and the Prom. These student leaders actively participate in retreats, service projects, and club programs.
The Student Ambassadors:
The Ambassadors, easily recognized by their blue blazers, are Juan Diego’s representatives and hosts to many of our guests coming to campus as well as numerous off-site events throughout the year where their presence is requested. They ensure the smooth operation of events through their logistical support and guarantee a warm welcome to our campus for hundreds of visitors, prospective students, parents, and VIPs alike. The Student Ambassador Program is available to students at the end of their sophomore year, and for juniors and seniors.
The Peer Mentor Program:
Juan Diego’s Peer Mentors serve the campus community by actively being involved in planning, executing, and participating in our prayer and liturgy, retreats, service, and freshman mentoring. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors are invited to apply for the Peer Mentor Program.