Our Catholic Identity

All aspects of life at Dominican are grounded in the Catholic faith and the Sinsinawa Dominican tradition, helping to create a spiritual learning environment. We commission our students to develop a heightened sense of social responsibility and respect for human dignity based on the values articulated by the Sinsinawa Dominicans: Truth, Compassion, Justice, Community and Partnership.

Dominican students experience a traditional Catholic education centered on developing the whole person – intellectually, spiritually and morally.  We believe that growth in faith is as important as intellectual achievements. Non-Catholics find that Dominican is a welcoming and inclusive community where all are encouraged to live their faith and share their traditions with others.

Daily Mass, All-School Liturgies & Spiritual Retreats

As further testament to our commitment to maintaining our Catholic identity, Dominican offers two optional masses each day.  And, at a time when Catholic schools are without the daily services and pastoral presence of a priest, DHS retains the services of two on-site priests -- Fr. Bob Wheelock and Fr. Charles Mbuyi -- who celebrate masses, counsel teens, offer reconciliation services and minister daily to students, faculty and staff.

Students also grow in self-awareness and faith through monthly all-school liturgies and annual retreats for each grade level. Students take the lead in organizing these liturgies, prayer services and spiritual aspects of various retreats. Masses are available to students and faculty, and discussion groups and activities pertinent to the liturgical cycle are conducted. For instance, each year students track homicides in Milwaukee and then pray for the victims and their families during the Holy Thursday liturgy.

Campus Ministry: Putting Faith into Action

Dominican's Campus Ministry and community outreach programs enable students to truly live their faith. Our dedicated Campus Minister, Henry Reyes, established and leads the program.  Below is just a sampling of the many Campus Ministry projects that encourage students to put their faith into action:

• Each week, Dominican students prepare sandwiches for homeless adults and children through the Franciscan Peacemakers program.

 

• Students, parents, faculty and staff prepare and serve meals several times each year at St. Benedict the Moor, a Milwaukee parish serving members of the inner city community. The St. Ben’s Community Meal program serves hundreds of guests six nights a week.

 

• Dominican maintains an Urban Garden in Milwaukee's central city where students gather each Thursday throughout the spring and fall months from 3:30 to 5 p.m., (see Calendar). All members of the Dominican community, including alumni, are welcome to participate.

 

• Campus Ministry students have helped to rehabilitate several homes in the central city. This group meets the first Saturday of each month, leaving DHS at 8:30 a.m. and returning 12:30 p.m. See Calendar for more information.

 

• Dominican students have participated for several years in a service project through Global Youth Mission which takes participants to various Central American and Caribbean countries to teach and provide service in the community.

 

• For the past five years, DHS students have been recognized by Heifer International for annually raising $5,000 for an Ark which funds the purchase of farm animals, enabling communities around the world to become productive and self-sustaining.
  

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