Individual and communal prayer is at the center of our Catholic faith. The Central Catholic community gathers for worship regularly. We come together as a school community approximately once a month, and on Holy Days, to celebrate the Eucharist and other forms of liturgy. The school chapel is open during the day for students to spend quiet time in prayer and for a daily liturgy. In addition, Holy Adoration is offered on the first Thursday of each month. Parents, alumni, and friends are always welcome at any school liturgies.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered during Advent and Lent and upon individual request throughout the year. During Holy Week, the Chapel of Christ the King is open for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Central Catholic works to model what it means to be a Catholic high school by welcoming students into their faith journeys through our retreat program. During the Freshman, Sophomore, Junior Search, and Senior retreats, students grow as people of faith and are commissioned to bring truth to others. 

Central Catholic’s multiple retreat experiences are rooted in virtue formation. Retreat leaders create an atmosphere of comfort, trust, and sharing so students can explore issues of Christian identity, relationships, values, and reconciliation. The goal is to provide an opportunity for students to listen and respond to the promptings of God’s spirit in their lives and the life of the community.

Central Catholic requires all freshmen and sophomores to attend multi-day retreats; juniors are encouraged to participate in a weekend retreat program called Search, which is offered three times each year; seniors attend a one-day retreat in the Fall and may choose to attend an optional overnight retreat held in the Spring.

The Christian Service Program is designed to help develop Catholic High School students into people of compassion and knowledge, committed to justice as persons for others. Through Christian service, students develop the purpose of standing in solidarity with others and contributing to the common good of the Church and society. This community development, both within and outside Central Catholic, is a vital goal of the Christian Service Program and Central Catholic High School.

All Christian service performed for Central Catholic service credit must:

1. Benefit those who survive after experiencing marginalization in our community and/or who are society’s most vulnerable members.

2. Benefit a nonprofit group or organization that is in keeping with the values of the Catholic Church.

3. Not be affiliated directly or indirectly with any political campaigns or groups.

Christian Service requirements must be completed by the corresponding semester's due dates. Incomplete service will require a student to complete a Service Completion Plan (SCP) in collaboration with the Christian Service Office. If an SCP is not completed within the same week as the semester Christian Service due date, students will be assigned detention until the plan is completed.

Christian service is part of holistic Catholic education, and all Central Catholic students are encouraged to exceed the minimum requirements. Over the first four semesters, each student is asked to experience a variety of service experiences in the following areas of engagement:

• Call to Family, Community, and Participation: Health, Education, and Faith Formation (HEFF)

• Care for God’s Creation: Environmental Stewardship (ES)

• Preferential Option for the Poor and Vulnerable: Houselessness and Hunger (HH)

• Life and Dignity of the Human Person: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Liberation (DEIL)

Each specific class requirement is listed below and must be met for the student to register for the subsequent school year or to satisfy the graduation requirement.

Students can complete service before the upcoming school year, over the summer, to add to their service record. All service should be recorded on MobileServe immediately after a student completes them.

Freshmen & Sophomore Service Requirements

Each semester, all freshmen and sophomores must complete seven (7) hours of service in the Areas of Engagement below, as well as three (s) hours of Solidarity and Awareness Raising.  By the end of sophomore year, each student needs to have completed seven (7) hours in each of the four Areas of Engagement.  The deadline for Fall semester service is January 14, 2026, and the deadline for Spring semester service is May 13, 2026.

Direct  Service Project Requirements (Junior/Senior Years)

It is a graduation requirement to complete 30 hours of direct service experience with an anawim population.  Students must plan their direct service experiences during the Fall semester of their Junior Year, and the Direct Service Plan is submitted through their Catechesis and Theology course. The Direct Service Project is completed by an assigned date determined by the student’s service plan and approved by the Community Ministry staff.  The Direct Service Project is done in partnership with one nonprofit organization that offers direct service opportunities for high school students. The plan needs to be completed, and a contract signed and approved, before students can begin their service.  Students will also need to complete a service journal and upload sections of their journal to Canvas at specific intervals (after five, 10, 20, and 30+ hours of service).

All students will track their service hours through our MobileServe app/system by providing verification of hours served.

Areas of Engagement

In alignment with Catholic Social Teaching, the Archdiocese of Portland’s Mission Playbook, and Central Catholic High School's mission to educate the whole person through a rigorous academic curriculum rooted in Gospel values, students are invited to engage in meaningful service that reflects our core values of faith and love, community, academic excellence, diversity, compassion, and integrity.

Service is a vocation, a concrete expression of Christ’s love for the world. As Pope Francis reminded us: “True faith in the Son of God is inseparable from self-giving, from membership in the community, from service, from reconciliation with others.” (Evangelii Gaudium, 88)

Area One: Call to Family, Community, and Participation

Focus: Health, Education, and Faith Formation

Students are encouraged to respond to God’s call by building up the human family through active participation in their middle schools, parishes, and local communities, especially those that have nurtured their growth. This area invites students to accompany others by contributing to the physical, educational, and spiritual well-being of all people, recognizing that each person is created in God's image and likeness. Service examples: tutoring, parish ministry, assisting in faith formation, and working with youth or elders in healthcare or educational settings.

Area Two: Preferential Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

Focus: Houselessness and Hunger

In solidarity with those experiencing homelessness and food insecurity, students are called to encounter and serve the marginalized with compassion and respect. This engagement area invites students to embody Christ’s love for the poor by working toward restoring human dignity, justice, and hope while advocating for just systems that meet essential human needs. Service examples: volunteering at food banks, shelters, transitional housing programs, or meal services.

Area Three: Life and Dignity of the Human Person

Focus: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Liberation

Grounded in the belief that every human life is sacred and worthy of respect, this area calls students to address the structures of injustice that harm or diminish others. Central Catholic challenges students to be agents of liberation and reconciliation, advocating for those whose dignity is threatened by discrimination, violence, or systemic inequality. Service examples: working with organizations promoting racial justice, inclusion for people with disabilities, immigration support, or anti-trafficking efforts.

Area Four: Care for God’s Creation

Focus: Environmental Stewardship

As stewards of God’s creation, students are invited to cultivate a deep sense of responsibility for our common home. By protecting the environment and promoting sustainable practices, we honor the Creator and express care for future generations and all living beings. This area helps students live out ecological justice as an expression of their faith. Service examples: participating in clean-up efforts, community gardening, conservation work, or sustainability education.

Students will receive a Pass (P) on their Progress Report and Semester Report Card when they meet the Christian Service requirement. Late service hour reporting in any semester will disqualify a student from receiving Christian Service Honors recognition at graduation and will be noted in the student’s permanent Christian Service record. A student can appeal this decision if they have a documented excuse for missing the service deadline (see Appendix 1 for the appeal process).

Students will receive a No Pass (NP) if they fail to meet their semester Christian Service requirement. A No Pass (NP) will remain on the student’s academic record until they meet the requirement. The student must complete the past-due requirement to receive a diploma from Central Catholic High School.

Missed Deadline Consequences

If a student misses their Service deadline, they immediately become ineligible for all extracurricular activities (including, but not limited to, athletics, drama, leadership, affinity groups, clubs, dances, Open Mic Night, etc).

If students have completed their service hours but not the paperwork, they are required to attend After School Service Intervention within one week after the deadline to input their hours and reflections into our tracking system (MobileServe and/or Canvas). Once their paperwork is completed, they regain their eligibility for co-curricular activities and athletics.

If a student has not completed all of their service hours, they will be required to complete a Service Completion Plan (SCP) in collaboration with the Community Ministry Office. To regain their eligibility for co-curricular and athletic activities, an SCP must be completed with specific details (dates, organizations served, etc.), signed by their parent/guardian, and approved by a member of the Community Ministry team.  As long as a student is meeting the terms of their SCP, they maintain eligibility. If the student does not maintain the deadlines of the SCP, they become ineligible until they are back on track with their SCP.

For all students with incomplete service work, if none of the above actions have been taken during the week following the deadline, students will be assigned Saturday School with the Dean of Student Management, Safety, and Security until their paperwork, plan, and service are complete.

Service Immersion experiences are offered to students each year via community partnerships. Immersion experiences offer students the opportunity to experience the fullness of the Church’s social tradition and teaching and offer an opportunity to engage in the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. We have formed partnerships with national and international not-for-profits, which lead service immersion experiences both within the US and abroad. Central Catholic does not directly host our own Service Immersion experiences; we work as the intermediary to help plan and organize our students’ participation in these experiences. The host organizations are fully responsible for the planning, liability, and execution of the trips.  

Information on Immersion Experiences can be found here, and will also be communicated via email and school announcements.