Written by Kelly Laster, assistant superintendent, Diocese of Austin, kelly-laster@austindiocese.org
St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School was established in the fall of 2009 in a growing suburb of Austin. The school was founded around the vision of “Forming Servant Leaders in the Image of Christ,” and the school has been living that vision since its inception. One group created from this vision is the TIM Team. TIM Team is short for Timothy Team and is based on 1 Timothy 4:12: “Let no one despise your youth, but set believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”
TIM Team members are selected from applications submitted by juniors and seniors who commit to using their gifts and talents to lead the entire school community in service. Sixteen students are selected each year and commit to the TIM Team Leadership Course as an elective at the school. The course has two main goals:
- To form TIM Team members in the Catholic faith, and
- To assist TIM Team members in creating and leading opportunities for the Savio community to encounter Jesus Christ and experience the fullness of the Catholic faith.
The first goal of forming TIM Team members in the Catholic faith is accomplished by providing regular encounters with Jesus Christ through prayer and the sacraments. They are also encouraged to intellectually develop their faith formation through the study of scripture and Socratic seminar-style class discussions. Finally, teachers and other school staff support the TIM Team members’ spiritual growth through accompaniment and regular one-on-one conversations.
The second goal of assisting members to create and lead opportunities to encounter Jesus Christ is accomplished through an intentional integration of discipleship through service. The highlight of this goal each year is the TIM Team’s leadership in organizing Imago Christi Day, which falls on or close to St. Dominic Savio’s beatification day of March 5. Imago Christi is the day when all 450 students and staff spread out across Austin to serve various organizations including Mobile Loaves & Fishes, Community First! Village, and local parishes.
Each TIM Team member also serves on one of four subcommittees. The Logistics Team coordinates all logistics related to TIM Team initiatives and programs. The Music Team plans music for weekly school Masses and First Friday Adoration. The Sacristan Team plans and coordinates all liturgies, trains and schedules student ministers, and communicates with visiting priests and deacons. The Retreats Team plans and facilitates yearly retreats for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors.
St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School has been a pipeline for religious vocations since it opened in 2009. There is currently one priest and five more seminarians in the Diocese of Austin who graduated from Savio. There is also one Dominican sister and two more young ladies in formation with the Dominican Sisters, Mary, Mother of the Eucharist order. Living a life filled with faith and service starts with our students. When the design of servant leadership is integrated within the fabric of the Catholic school, students have opportunities to explore their faith and their calling to serve Jesus Christ according to their unique gifts and talents.
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