To this end, the School organises a range of activities especially aimed at Secondary School and Baccalaureate students, as well as at alumnae and parents:
In the 1
st, 2
nd, and 4
th years of Secondary School education, students have the opportunity to spend two days in a House of Prayer in the province of Madrid. During these sojourns, a healthy environment of comradeship is created, in which prayer time and dealings with others are particularly cherished.
MULTI-ACTIVITY CAMPS
Aimed at 3rd year Secondary School students, these camps allow students to form closer bonds with their classmates through a variety of multi-activity adventures, such as zip wiring, wall climbing, archery, falconry, horse riding… These are combined with other human and spiritual development activities.
Faith is a gift that offers people meaning and a place in the universe.
The School pays particular attention to the relationship with God through the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on each first Friday of the month.
The retreats, organised at the beginning of the school year and during important celebrations (Advent, Lent, etc.), provide time for reflection on the meaning of life, moral fulfilment and eternal salvation.
Pilgrimages are about exceeding the limits of the self, making a journey of reflection, and achieving a goal that brings a transcendent meaning to life.
The School organises two pilgrimages during the school year:
- Javierada: This pilgrimage to the castle in Navarre where St Francis Xavier was born is one of the students’ most eagerly anticipated activities. Taking place during the first weekend in March, students join together with others from the Mater Salvatoris Schools in Lérida and Barcelona.
- Guadalupe: In October, 1st year Baccalaureate students make a pilgrimage to the Monastery of St Mary of Guadalupe in Cáceres, accompanied by nuns and teachers. The pilgrimage marks the start of their preparation for receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation in April.
Other pilgrimages are organised on special occasions, such as:
- Camino de Santiago: In Years of Jubilee and other special occasions, the School organises a pilgrimage to the tomb of St James the Apostle.
- Holy Year of Mercy (2016): On the occasion of this celebration, organised by Pope Francis, all students from 3rd year of Primary School to 1st year of Baccalaureate made a pilgrimage to the Church of St Mary of Cana (Pozuelo) in order to gain the Jubilee Indulgence. The 2nd year Baccalaureate students made the pilgrimage to Rome, travelling along the Via della Conciliazione to enter through the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
Aimed at 1st and 2nd year Baccalaureate students, these few days allow a personal encounter with Jesus Christ through prayer in accordance with the spirituality of St Ignatius of Loyola.
The School has a long tradition and has been taking part in this global meeting of young people since it was first organised by Pope Saint John Paul II in 1989. The Mater Salvatoris Schools took part in the WYDs in Santiago de Compostela (1989), Czestochowa (1991), Paris (1997), Rome (2000), Toronto (2002), Cologne (2005), Sidney (2008), Madrid (2011) and Rio de Janeiro (2013).
In 2016, 250 young people will join the Mater Salvatoris group at the WYD in Krakow.
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