Dr. Carrie Schroeder

Dr. Carrie Schroeder

Director of Faith Formation

All students at École Notre Dame des Victoires receive instruction in the Catholic faith in daily religion classes and experience various opportunities to develop their faith including attendance at monthly student body Masses, prayer services, Families Growing in Faith gatherings, Class Masses, visits to the school’s chapel, and at the morning assembly. École Notre Dame des Victoires is a part of the Eglise Notre Dame des Victoires community. The priests regularly visit the religion classes to share Bible stories answer questions from the students and share their Marist charism.

Each morning assembly begins with prayer. Special feast days and information about the Saint’s day are announced, and during Advent and Lent the liturgical seasons and traditions, such as the Jesse Tree and Stations of the Cross are celebrated.

Learn more about the many branches of faith development at Ecole Notre Dame des Victoires.

Altar Servers

The Altar Servers program is open to Catholic students in fourth through eighth grade who wish to serve at school liturgies and parish Masses during the school year. NDV Parish staff provides the training for altar servers and students and their parents are required to attend an informational meeting at the beginning of each school year. Please CLICK HERE if you are interested in becoming an altar server. 

Faith Families

Four times a year students meet in groups that include a representation from every grade. An eighth grader leads the group in a faith related activity. Faith Families help to develop a closer bond among students in all grades. A staff member is present to help facilitate the activity if needed.

Masses & Prayer Services

Each class prepares one Class Mass and one Family Mass a year. All students are expected to attend. The Masses are celebrated on Sundays at 9:00 am at NDV Church.

Prayer services are scheduled during the Advent and Lenten seasons or in celebration of special feast days throughout the school year. They are usually held in the auditorium at 8:10 a.m. The entire student body attends.

Class Masses

Each class prepares one Sunday Mass a year, and all students are expected to attend. The Mass is celebrated at 9:00 am at NDV Church. Non-uniform attire may be worn to the Sunday Class Masses. A reception prepared by various grades immediately follows in the Church Hall.

Family Masses

Family Masses are scheduled once a month at 9:00 am in NDV Church. All NDV families are invited to worship together at these times. A reception prepared by various grades immediately follows in the Church Hall.

RCIC (Rite of Christian Initiation for Children) 

Children in third through eighth grades who have not been baptized or received the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Eucharist are invited to participate in the RCIC program. Children who wish to be Catholic, and whose parents support this effort, or are baptized Catholic but have not yet celebrated the Sacraments mentioned above, are invited to contact the Pastor of NDV Church or the Vice Principal to register for the RCIC program.

Second grade students are prepared to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist as part of their formal religion program. First Communion takes place in the spring during a regularly scheduled Sunday Mass at NDV Church. Parents are required to attend the preparation meetings and the monthly Families Growing in Faith Gatherings.

Sacrament Preparation

Reconciliation and First Eucharist

Second grade students are prepared to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist as part of their formal religion program. First Communion takes place in the spring during a regularly scheduled Sunday Mass at NDV Church. Parents are required to attend the preparation meetings and the monthly Families Growing in Faith gatherings.

Penance services are planned for grades three through eight during Advent and Lent so that students can receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation together as a class. Second grade students also receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at Lent.

Sacrament of Confirmation

The Sacrament of Confirmation is received in the spring of their eighth grade year with preparation spanning the seventh and eighth grade years. Periods of prayer, dialogue and reflection, including a retreat experience, are all part of the preparation for the reception of the sacrament.

Parents and Confirmation sponsors are required to attend the preparation meetings scheduled for them. Seventh and eighth grade confirmation candidates and their parents are required to attend the Families Growing in Faith gatherings held monthly.

Families Growing in Faith

The parents of second grade students preparing for First Eucharist and seventh and eighth grade students and their parents attend a monthly meeting in which they read more about their faith and discuss questions of faith as a family.

School Liturgies

Student body liturgies are held once a month during the school day, on Holy Days of Obligation or other Feast Days. They are celebrated at 8:30 am at NDV Church. Each class prepares one school Mass a year and does the reading, prayers of the faithful and are gift bearers. Full dress uniform is to be worn on school Mass days. Prayer services are scheduled during the Advent and Lenten seasons or in celebration of special feast days throughout the school year. They are usually held in the auditorium at 8:10 am. The entire student body attends.

St. Peter Chanel Chapel

The chapel on the first floor of the school is utilized by the students through individual class masses, prayer services and private prayer.

Contact NDV School

École Notre Dame des Victoires
659 Pine Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
ph 415.421.0069
office@ndvsf.org

Contact NDV Church

Église Notre Dame des Victoires
566 Bush Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
ph 415.397.0113
ndvsf.org

NDV is a member of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the Western Catholic Educational Association, the CSJ Educational Network, and the Society of Mary.