Each year, the student community works on homeroom projects during the six weeks of Lent.
The three traditional pillars of Lenten observance are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. The Church asks us to surrender ourselves to prayer and to the reading of Scripture, to fasting and to giving alms. The fasting that all do together on Fridays is but a sign of the daily Lenten discipline of individuals and households: fasting for certain periods of time, fasting from certain foods, but also fasting from other things and activities. Likewise, the giving of alms is some effort to share this world equally—not only through the distribution of money, but through the sharing of our time and talents.
The key to fruitful observance of these practices is to recognize their link to baptismal renewal. We are called not just to abstain from sin during Lent, but to true conversion of our hearts and minds as followers of Christ. We recall those waters in which we were baptized into Christ's death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ.
Each grade level will collect for different parts of our Holy Cross Family:
- Freshman will collect for our Holy Cross Missions.
- Sophomores will collect for our Holy Cross Local Families.
- Juniors will collect for our Holy Cross Immersion Communities.
- Seniors will collect for our Holy Cross Global Family.
Past projects have included:
Fundacion Moreau, Fundamor – Chile
The Moreau Foundation serves children and their families to restore their rights, leading to the well-being of themselves and their families. This work is inspired by Christian values and spiritual principles of the Congregation of Holy Cross and based on professional excellence, efficient and transparent service personnel and their collaborators.
Pune School Project Hutatma Raj Guru School - India
San Jose Pune Sister City Committee acts as a liaison to facilitate and manage this project. The project establishes a communication link between the students of SFHS and Pune, and provides financial assistance to economically disadvantaged female students in Pune.
Tamarindo Foundation - El Salvador
The Tamarindo Foundation is committed to serving people in need in rural El Salvador, especially disadvantaged youth, with projects in education, health, recreation, micro-business and leadership formation. At present, the Foundation focuses its support on the work of John Guiliano, the director of operations, who has lived in El Salvador since 1984 and who is the founder of the Tamarindo Community in the village of Guarjila, population 1,647, in northern El Salvador.
Tamahu School Project - Guatemala
The goal of this project is to provide free preschool education and ensure the majority of the graduates complete their primary school education. The organization believes that reducing the dropout rate among the poorest members of society will help break the cycle of poverty for children and their parents.