XBSS Network Mission Statement
Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools serve the Catholic Church’s educational mission by forming young people to be faith-filled contemplative leaders who address the evolving needs of our world. Informed by our Xaverian and gospel values, our schools seek to educate the whole student by nurturing each person’s unique giftedness. Xaverian students model Christ by utilizing their talents to respect the diversity of God’s creation, seek justice, and love their neighbor.
A Description of the Xaverian Charism
We, Xaverian Brothers and partners in mission, are a Christian community, striving to fulfill the spiritual aspirations that Theodore James Ryken had for his Congregation. Following the path of our founder, we are called to live ordinary lives that give witness to God's unconditional love. We believe that the Xaverian calling is a way of being put in our place, a place of humility and simplicity, from which we receive the grace to turn toward God, fall in love with God, and put ourselves in God's service as followers of Jesus Christ. Within each distinctive life choice, we are further invited to attentiveness, simplicity, flexibility, and openness to the common, unspectacular flow of everyday life. We unite ourselves to God through an integrated life of both contemplation and service. Through the Xaverian Way, we are awakened by the Spirit of God to our own graced potential and freely offer that giftedness in service to the gospel. Through our ministry, in particular, among the poor and the marginalized, we work to help others discover their uniqueness so they, too, may "share the love of God with the world through their giftedness." In a spirit of hospitality, we try to be approachable and available, as true brothers and sisters who welcome others and accompany them in the joys and sorrows of their lives.
A Description of the Xaverian Charism as lived by Partners in Mission
The Xaverian Brothers see all members of the Xaverian schools (board directors, administration, faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni, and benefactors) as partners in their shared mission of Catholic education. As partners in mission, we freely respond to the call to minister in a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School. We commit ourselves to an ongoing personal and communal formation that fosters the orientation of ourselves and our students toward God. We live that orientation without privilege or entitlement, seeking to find God and to be formed by the "common, ordinary, unspectacular flow of everyday life." Motivated by the lofty purpose proposed for the Congregation by the founder, we give witness to the values passed on to us from the brothers and that currently animate our school communities: the values of simplicity, humility, compassion, zeal, and trust.
The Spiritual Values of the Xaverian Charism
In the Xaverian Brothers tradition, certain values distinguish our way of life. Simplicity, humility, compassion, zeal, and trust are aspects of the charism which animated Theodore James Ryken and which continue to distinguish the life of the Xaverian Brothers. Partners in mission and students of the Xaverian Brother Sponsored School community are called to be animated by these values as they live and work together under the protection and guidance of St. Francis Xavier and all those who have gone before us.
Spiritual Values
Simplicity
Simplicity is a way of thinking, feeling, and acting to offset the temptation to excessive materialism and consumerism, which can minimize the spiritual values of God's Kingdom. Making choices that favor the common good of humanity and our common home, simplicity calls us to work for justice for all people and nations.
Simplicity frees the heart, the mind, and the soul for the work of evangelization and education. The Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School community encourages us to live and work in ways that respect our vocation to be stewards of God's creation.
Through simplicity, and in imitation of Theodore James Ryken, we adopt a way of living with less rather than more, in a spirit of appreciation and gratitude, acknowledging that “through the common, ordinary, unspectacular flow of everyday life, [we] will experience a liberation and a freedom never before imagined.” (Fundamental Principles)
Spiritual Values
Humility
Humility is the recognition of our total dependence on God. Adopting the selfless attitude of Christ, we accept that each person is a unique expression of God’s love, is gifted, and is loved in their sinful and graced humanity. We recognize our brothers and sisters as images of God with whom we journey in faith.
Humility compels all members of the Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School community to accept and affirm their giftedness and limitations as well as to acknowledge these realities in others. Humility is an attitude that demands action in loving service to all. Humility inspires a sense of connectedness, allowing members of the school community to affirm each other, to learn from each other, and to work with each other.
Through humility, and in imitation of Theodore James Ryken, we surrender ourselves to God in faith saying “The gift you have received give as a gift.” (Fundamental Principles)
Spiritual Values
Compassion
Compassion is the tenderness of heart which is capable of seeing and hearing the needs of all, near and far. We are called to stand with one another in difficulties, supporting and encouraging all of our brothers and sisters, especially the poor, weak, and oppressed, for they too are called to experience and share the love of God with and through us.
Compassion compels us in a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School community to look at life through the eyes of Christ, to encounter those who suffer, to accompany them, and to seek appropriate action to alleviate hardship. This allows us to be the eyes, the ears, and the hands of the loving God.
Through compassion, and in imitation of Theodore James Ryken, we serve others to manifest God’s “care and compassionate love to those who are separated and estranged, not only from their neighbors, but also from their own uniqueness; to those who suffer from want, neglect, and injustice.” (Fundamental Principles)
Spiritual Values
Zeal
Zeal is the joyful and enthusiastic commitment to the mission of the Catholic Church which God has entrusted to us. We imitate St. Francis Xavier as we give ourselves wholeheartedly to the work of evangelization, in word and deed.
Zeal enables us to share God's love as nourishment for others, as bread that is broken through a life of gospel service. Zeal unifies the Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School community in single-minded devotion and intense passion for the formation of the whole person, bringing about the more abundant life proclaimed by Jesus Christ.
Through zeal, and in imitation of Theodore James Ryken, we are emboldened and empowered to face trials and obstacles in our path, knowing “that nothing special is achieved without much labor, effort, and zeal.” (Fundamental Principles)
Spiritual Values
Trust
Trust is total confidence in our God and our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is the meeting place of mind, heart, faith, and courage. This trust allows people to look toward the transcendent to grow in faith in spite of life's difficulties. It flourishes in contemplation and encourages, enlightens, and inspires all believers.
As members of a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School community we entrust ourselves to the providence of God, who knows, understands, and loves us. Trusting in God, and our brothers and sisters, we can live out God's plan for us. Trust requires that we provide time and space for contemplation of God's will for us.
Through trust, and in imitation of Theodore James Ryken, we are joined together in our faith and efforts to build our community, comforted and inspired by the understanding that
"in harmony, small things grow." (Fundamental Principles)
The Spiritual Values of the Xaverian Charism
Call
The call to embrace our Catholic identity and Xaverian charism as partners in the church’s mission of evangelization within its ministry of education.
Explanation of Call
The Spirit is calling us, as Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools, to embrace our Catholic identity, as well as the charism and the mission of the Xaverian Brothers as the vibrant dimension that distinguishes our schools' programs and community life as a means for evangelization within the church's ministry of education. We are blessed with a history and tradition that has been responsive to the signs of the times and willing to make needed changes. The challenges we are encountering provide a great opportunity for growth and a deeper understanding of Catholic identity and being a people of faith today.
“Like Ryken, foster an attitude of openness to the needs
of the church and our world and a willingness to
follow Christ wherever He leads.”
Fundamental Principles
The Xaverian charism calls us to continually reflect upon our Xaverian-Catholic identity to assess and evaluate our programs, procedures, and policies in light of the teachings of the Catholic Church and the ideals and practices articulated in the description of the Xaverian charism.
The Congregation is grateful for the laywomen and men who give to others the gift of the Xaverian charism that they received. Their strong commitment to the mission, charism, and Catholic identity promotes a passion which is the trademark of the Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools.
Questions for Reflection
- How would we describe the way our Catholic identity is lived out in our school community?
- What inspires me about the brothers' charism and how it is lived out in my school?
- In reflecting upon how our community is embracing the future of our school as part of the Xaverian mission, in what specific ways can Catholic identity and the charism of the Xaverian Brothers be further made manifest?
Call
The call to a spirituality, flowing from a contemplative stance, which is formed by God’s presence in the common, ordinary, unspectacular flow of everyday life.
Explanation of Call
The Spirit is calling us, as a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School, to live the spirituality of the common and the ordinary, so that in encountering the living God we may be freed by seeking God’s love. The incarnational spirituality as manifested in the everyday life of the school community is what makes the Xaverian school unique. Within the common, ordinary, everyday flow of existence, there is an authenticity to being who it is God calls us to be.
“If you allow yourself to be formed by God
through the common, ordinary, unspectacular
flow of everyday life, you will gradually experience
a liberation and freedom never before imagined.
Stand ready to answer when asked
if you are available for God to become more present
in your life and through you to the world.”
Fundamental Principles
The Xaverian charism calls us to contemplate how we encounter the love of the living God each day leading to a deeper understanding of the meaning of life and a greater appreciation of what each person has to offer. The transformative relationship with Christ is at the heart of Xaverian spirituality.
The Congregation invites its school communities to be open to letting Jesus encounter them and see contemplation and prayer as sources of strength and inspiration for students, teachers, administrators, and staff. To provide both a strong spirit and structure for living and promoting Catholic identity, we must invest time and energy in initial and regular experiences of formation for our school administrators, faculties, staffs, and those who serve as board directors of each school.
Questions for Reflection
- How are we responding to God’s call to be ordinary in a world which seeks extra-ordinary/worldly expressions of prestige and power?
- What challenges do we face as a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School in experiencing and nurturing a relationship with God in the ordinary flow of everyday life?
- How do we, as a school community, foster an awareness of the love of God in common, yet unspectacular ways?
- How do we respond to this call so that we can balance our lives through work and prayer, by being authentic and embracing our spiritual well-being?
Call
The call to be formed in the spiritual values of simplicity, humility, compassion, zeal, and trust.
Explanation of Call
The Spirit is calling us, as Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools, to form school communities in the spiritual values of compassion, humility, simplicity, zeal, and trust: a compassion that requires openness to reach out in loving service; a simplicity that frees the heart, the mind and the soul; a humility that enables one to accept the giftedness of others, and the limitations of oneself; a trust rooted in faith and courage; a zeal that is a devotion and drive to fulfilling the church's mission.
“Listen to your brothers and sisters, be compassionate with them in their difficulties,
bear with them in their weaknesses, encourage and support them.
Affirm your brothers and sisters in their gifts,
for by doing so you enable them to realize the gifts that God has given them for service.”
Fundamental Principles
The Spirit is calling us, as Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools, to form school communities in the spiritual values of simplicity, humility, compassion, zeal, and trust: a simplicity that frees the heart, the mind, and the soul; a humility that enables one to accept the giftedness of others and the limitation of oneself; a compassion that requires openness to reach out in loving service; a zeal that is a devotion and drive to fulfilling the church's mission; and a trust rooted in faith and courage.
The Congregation challenges our school communities to respond to this call in furthering the Xaverian Brothers’ mission. By integrating these spiritual values into the life of the school through encouragement and support, these spiritual values enable the gifts of the community to shine through and manifest themselves in unique ways. As schools create specific strategies for promoting an understanding and practice of authentic Catholic beliefs grounded in Jesus’ gospel, the charism of the Xaverian Brothers will be integrated through the lived experience of these spiritual values.
Questions for Reflection
- How does this call speak to the mission and vision of our school?
- What challenges do we face in furthering these calls within our school’s mission and vision?
- How can we make these spiritual values visible to the wider community in which our schools reside?
- How do we foster the spiritual values of the Xaverian Brothers among all of our school’s stakeholders?
Call
The call for a challenging academic and cocurricular program that promotes the development of the whole person and their unique giftedness.
Explanation of Call
The Spirit is calling us, as Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools, to implement challenging academic and cocurricular programs that promote the development of the whole person. Faculty, staff, and parents work together to create a trusting environment where the gospel vibrantly lives, and students are appropriately challenged to be their fullest, most authentic selves. As adults in Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools help students grow in a deeper sense of themselves, they can then call forth the unique God-given gifts within each student and challenge him or her to bring forth these gifts to build God’s kingdom.
“All are created by the God of love in His image
and according to His likeness
to be a unique expression of that love.”
Fundamental Principles
The Xaverian charism calls our administrators to clearly communicate the educational philosophy of Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools to teachers, students, and parents; to provide programs that allow for and encourage the development of everyone's gifts; to regularly evaluate all educational and cocurricular programs; and to work in coordination with the governing board to ensure that a Xaverian Brothers education is accessible to all who demonstrate financial need.
The Congregation invites all administrators, faculty, staff, and board members in Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools to prayerfully discern how to most appropriately both nurture and challenge our students in these times so that they can fully manifest God's great love for them. Our work as educators is more essential now than ever before, as our world desperately needs thoughtful and inquisitive leaders infused with the wisdom of the Gospels.
Questions for Reflection
- How do we foster collaboration among our community: administrators, faculty, staff, board members, parents, and alumni?
- In my role in this school community, how do I develop my gifts and the gifts of others?
- How do our institutions balance the demands of a strong academic program and our charism to educate the whole person?
Call
The call to recognize our Christian responsibility to work for justice and peace by responding to the needs of others.
Explanation of Call
The Spirit is calling us, as Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools, to be communities living the gospel as a life-giving commitment to others. Inspired by the example of Christ’s care and compassion for those in need and on the periphery, we are called to work toward building a just and peaceful society and world.
“To manifest God’s care and compassion
to those who are separated and estranged
not only from their neighbors,
but also from their uniqueness,
to those who suffer from want, neglect, and injustice:
the poor, the weak, and the oppressed of this world.”
Fundamental Principles
The Xaverian charism manifests itself in “the love for the service of God” that transforms each member of our community, calling us to be faithful witnesses to the message of Jesus. By being a community that, through its outreach, service, and faith formation program makes an option for the poor a true exercise of Christian charity, we live out the Xaverian charism by working for justice and peace.
The Congregation invites its schools to actively seek ways of extending the mission to those on the periphery: being Christ’s eyes, ears, and hands in our world today.
Questions for Reflection
- How can we help our school community better understand and respond to issues of justice and peace that confront the world today locally and globally?
- In what ways does our school community need to embrace the call of the Xaverian charism to fall in love with God and place ourselves in God’s service?
- What sacrifices is our school community called to make to respond to the call to work for justice and peace while being of service to the poor and marginalized?
Call
The call to build diverse and inclusive communities that encourage enduring personal relationships through an understanding of culture and perspectives.
Explanation of Call
The Spirit is calling us, as Xaverian Brother Sponsored Schools, to follow the example of Jesus and to encounter and dialogue with those the world may consider "other than us" or outcasts and to reach out and meet the needs of the multicultural reality of the Catholic Church. Our schools are challenged to embrace the diversity of God's creation and welcome them into our communities.
“You were created by the God of love in God's image and according to God's likeness,
to be a unique expression of that love. It is through you that God desires to manifest love to the peoples of the world in these times, and to offer them the freedom of the children of God in your journey of life.”
Fundamental Principles
The Xaverian charism calls Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools to enable understanding across various perspectives. For example, through dialogue we are promoting mutual respect and understanding of religious traditions that the students may encounter.
The Congregation invites its schools to teach and promote respectful dialogue to bridge divides between cultures, nations, religious beliefs and traditions, or even the divisions that may exist between generations. Additionally, the Congregation invites its schools to provide time and space so that personal encounters and dialogue can take place and help build a deeper sense of community.
Questions for Reflection
- How do we develop and promote a global perspective of life in our educational programs?
- How can we be fair and just to all who attend or work in our school?
- How does each school develop a relationship of presence and service to the marginalized in our local community and beyond?