Spirituality
What does spirituality in ACE look like?
The spirituality of ACE is rooted in the belief that we are called to an encounter with Christ Teacher, and it is the Holy Spirit who calls people, as the Spirit called the first disciples, to this encounter. Grounded in the Catholic faith, ACE emphasizes an invitational spirituality during the two-year experience and beyond. ACE welcomes teachers of all faiths and denominations and encourages the development of personal spirituality and faith in the context of community, and to share with one another the journey of becoming committed Catholic school teachers.
ACE’s efforts at pastoral formation strive to meet you where you are and invite you to a deeper relationship with God and a deeper sense of how your service and life in community are connected to your spirituality. ACE seeks to form Catholic educators who integrate their personal, communal, professional, and spiritual lives in their journey to answer the Holy Spirit’s call to serve.
What opportunities for spiritual growth will I have?
An important goal of the program is to provide you with the tools to become a reflective professional educator and to live out your faith daily. First and foremost, as a Catholic school educator, you will have the opportunity to form and guide your students in their faith lives, which in turn will shape your own. Summers at Notre Dame offer a variety of opportunities for spiritual growth including coursework, retreats, Mass, and prayer services. Members of each ACE community together develop their spiritual and prayer lives, embracing personal experiences and inviting each other to grow in faith. In addition, ACE teachers often find spiritual support, direction, and challenge from the pastoral staff.
Though participants formally commit themselves to only a brief experience as teachers, ACE seeks to provide talented young people with a meaningful opportunity to explore teaching as a vocation. Whatever professional pursuits our graduates undertake, ACE invites all members to become lifelong advocates for Catholic education as leaders who serve our country’s most valuable asset: its children.
