Service and Spirituality

The Prayer Partner program involves all Mother Seton School students. Pre-K through third-grade students are paired with students in grades 4–8 for special mentoring opportunities throughout the year, including special events and activities. The program helps students connect and gives them an opportunity to live their faith and share their gifts with one another.

Students in grades 5–8 interested in working side by side with friends and classmates to serve Christ by serving their neighbors are invited to join. Members meet for team building, prayer, and planning service and outreach projects.

The four aims of Community, Service, Marian Spirituality and Formation to Service are woven into activities and monthly meetings of the VMY, which is an international youth organization of the Vincentian Family.

Members form teams of four to five students led by an adult sponsor to work at service sites of their choice two to three times monthly outside of school hours. Signup is in September. Members also help with the MSS Walk-a-thon and assist in deciding where some of the funds should go; we choose organizations where our funding has a direct impact on those living in poverty.

Students complete a pledge year during which they demonstrate their willingness to fulfill member responsibilities. Students who successfully complete requirements of the pledge year are inducted annually into the VMY on or near the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul.

The National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) is an international student organization that recognizes high-achieving students in grades 6-9. Established in 1929, its mission is to promote the values of scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship within a school.

The NJHS Archbishop James Bayley Chapter at Mother Seton School is advised by Mr. Christopher Cosentino and Principal Kathleen J. Kilty, PhD.

The purpose of this chapter shall be to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote leadership, to develop character, and to encourage good citizenship in the students at Mother Seton School.

Eligibility Requirements

• Candidates eligible for selection to this chapter must be in the second semester of the  seventh grade or first semester of the eighth-grade class. 
• To be eligible for selection to membership in this chapter, the candidate must have been  enrolled for a period equivalent to one semester at Mother Seton School. 
• Candidates eligible for election to the chapter shall have a minimum cumulative grade point  average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.  
• Upon meeting the grade level, enrollment, and GPA standards, candidates shall then be  considered based on their service, leadership, character, and citizenship.

By-Laws of the Archbishop James Bayley Chapter 

The Vincentian Virtue Award celebrates and recognizes those individuals who exemplify the high standards we hold for our students. Pre-K – grade 8 teachers select one student each trimester to receive this award, a very high honor. In selecting this award, the teachers consider how a student’s behavior is Christ-like and consistent with the Vincentian virtues of respect, compassion, integrity, gentleness, inclusivity, and excellence. A few examples of our students living the Vincentian virtues include:

“She demonstrates kindness towards her peers daily, especially in difficult situations.”
“He always displays kind and compassionate behavior towards his classmates.”
“She is friendly and ensures her classmates know how much she cares about them.”
“He is respectful and encouraging to those around him.”
“He is eager to learn and willing to work hard.”
“She is honest and willingly stands up for what is right, even if it is unpopular.”
“She is always willing to go the extra mile to help someone in need.”
“He looks after the classroom, his classmates, and his teachers with constant care and concern."

In 2024, faculty and staff members were added to the list of recipients.