Spirituality

Daily Chapel talks are pivotal.

Delivered by a rotation of teachers, coaches, the Headmaster, seventh graders, and alumni, they shape a boy’s character and inspire a strong sense of self. Topics are wide-ranging. Speakers consider the age of their audience to pique their interest and provide a message that helps the boys distill what it means to be a good man. Through the cumulative experience of daily Chapel, our boys learn the importance of humility, gratitude, patience, and respect for all people. They learn to see beyond themselves – to contribute to their community and act for the common good.

To listen to a Seventh Grader's Chapel Talk click on the image below.

Chapel Talk Topics have included:

Poise Under Pressure, Being Your Best Self, Understanding Differences (the complexity and humanity of people), Gratitude, Mindfulness, Ethnic and Religious Respect, Chinese New Year, Martin Luther King Day Chapel, New Year’s Eve Traditions in Venezuela and Perseverance.

ACTING FOR THE GOOD

The action we take is where the spiritual dimension manifests.

Opportunities to do good in meaningful ways are woven into the boys’ experience. Second graders deepen their natural sense of empathy through a series of visits to the Manhattan Children's Center, where they cultivate skills to engage with children with autism and related disabilities. Fourth graders explore the relationship between the visually impaired and guide dogs as they organize an annual school-wide service project in support of The Seeing Eye. Seventh graders make weekly visits with residents of an assisted living facility as part of their religion program.

As the leaders of our student body, Eighth Grade boys develop a signature service project each year; these have included establishing a school in Ethiopia and raising funds for hurricane relief. Each year, several Saint David’s alumni assist with Horizons at Saint David’s, a tuition-free summer program for boys from low-income families.

RELATED PROGRAMS 

School programs tend to our boys’ spiritual, social, emotional, and mental health and wellbeing.

Sophrosyne, an ancient Greek virtue, is marked by excellence of character and a healthy state of mind. It is predicated on an awareness of one’s true self. When our boys know who they are and respect themselves, they gain the tools needed to develop empathy, and to respect and honor all differences. Character education and the social-emotional health of boys are addressed in developmentally appropriate ways. The program is values-driven and spans all grades. Boys actively share their thoughts and feelings, learning to evaluate and make decisions based on the school’s and their family’s values.

Through the religion curriculum, boys study the nature of the Catholic faith and Christianity, and examine major threads among world religions. Boys learn about different religious and philosophical traditions and are not taught what to think or believe. Families share their religious and cultural traditions within the classroom – broadening boys’ perspectives and laying the foundation for global citizenship and cultural competency. Catholic boys receive the sacraments of First Holy Communion, Reconciliation, and Confirmation, while their classmates support them through active involvement. For boys of the Catholic faith, the sacraments are rites of passage. For boys not of the faith, participation in these community experiences enables them to form connections and feel part of something larger than themselves.