Spiritual Life
Faith at the Heart of Our Community
At St. Agnes Academy–St. Dominic School, our Catholic faith is the foundation of our school community. Rooted in the Dominican tradition, we place Christ at the center of our mission, encouraging students to develop strong moral values, act with integrity, and grow in their relationship with God.
While grounded in Catholic teachings, SAA-SDS welcomes students and families of different faith backgrounds. We believe each child brings unique gifts, perspectives, and experiences that enrich our community.
Faith formation extends beyond religion and theology classes. Catholic values inform learning, relationships, and everyday decisions, encouraging students to think critically, act compassionately, and recognize their responsibility to serve others.
The Four Dominican Pillars
The spirit of the Dominican Sisters has formed and guided the students, faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees since the school’s founding. The Dominican Pillars provide a foundation for students, sustaining the unique St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School experience.
Prayer
Students attend Mass and participate in class retreats, reconciliation services, and prayer services. Even our youngest ECC students participate in weekly chapel time. The full-time Director of Dominican Catholic Identity is involved in every facet of student and faculty life, and the school has a wonderful partnership with the Dominican priests at St. Peter Catholic Church who serve as our chaplains.
Study
Our students study and excel in their classrooms with the goal of becoming people who will influence the world for good through their love of knowledge. Our vision is that the graduate of St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School will pursue excellence and lifelong learning in order to provide the leadership necessary to make the world a better place.
Community
We build community in our classrooms, on our sports teams, in our student organizations, and through social events sponsored by the school. We recognize that the community continually shapes, supports, and challenges each individual.
Service
Community service is a guiding principle for all our students. We want our students to recognize they are called by faith to service – that means giving their talents and time - their personal commitment. From our youngest students to our Upper School, our students lead and participate in a wide variety of service projects.
SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
At St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School, we embrace the fact that an individual’s faith formation journey starts at a very young age. A child’s relationship with God begins as a natural curiosity and is fostered by the adults around them. Our religious program for grades PK2-2nd, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS), makes Christ visible to our students through exploration and discovery.
Worship at SAA-SDS
St. Agnes and St. Dominic students in grades K-8 gather every Friday morning to celebrate Mass, and our Upper School students alternately celebrate Mass and Dominican Hour every other Wednesday. Dominican Hour includes speakers and activities that focus on our Dominican Pillars. Our students in PK2-Kindergarten share weekly time in the Chapel. All St. Agnes and St. Dominic students celebrate Mass as a community several times each year including all Holy Days of Obligation, as well as Feasts that celebrate our Dominican Heritage. Parents, grandparents, and alumni are welcome to join us for our weekly Mass celebrations.
St. Catherine Chapel
The spiritual heart of our campus is found in our beautiful St. Catherine Chapel located in Siena Hall. The chapel features 13 historic stained glass windows depicting Dominican saints. The windows, which were designed in 1911, hung in the chapel at the school’s original location on Vance in downtown Memphis. The windows were brought out of storage and carefully restored when the new chapel was built in 1998. The windows are a visual communication of the Dominican spirit of truth exemplified in the lives of the Dominican saints.
Dominican Torch Awards
The Four Pillars of the Dominican Charism - Study, Prayer, Community, and Service - provide a foundation for all students, sustaining the unique St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School experience.
To highlight the importance of the pillars in daily life, the school established the Dominican Torch Awards to recognize those students who exhibit, by their example, the four pillars of the Dominican charism: Prayer, Study, Community, and Service. Twice a year, students in grades K-12 are nominated for this honor by their classmates and teachers, and the awards are presented to the students during two all-school Mass celebrations.
Dear Dominican Family,
We invite you to take a few moments to learn about our patron and founder of the Dominican Order, St. Dominic de Guzmañ.
Click below to learn more about St. Dominic and his mission, that is the heart of our Dominican identity—seeking truth, growing in faith, and serving with joy.
St. Dominic - Feast Day August 8
On August 7th and 19th, we had Communion services in the chapel for the US Soccer team, to ask God’s blessing over their season. We will be having a communion service or prayer service on the weeks of their matches for the remainder of the season per the request of Coach Marchand. He is not only developing their soccer skills but also developing their faith!
School Prayer
Loving God, let thy blessings be upon St. Agnes Academy St. Dominic School. Help us to seek the truth, to stand up for the rights of others, and to promote justice, respect, and peace in our school and world communities. Inspire with love and goodness both those who teach and those who learn. Give us the grace to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, loving and forgiving of others. We ask these gifts in Jesus’ name through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.