Just as navigators once relied on the Polaris, the North Star, to find their way, the Polaris Project serves as the guiding axis of Stella Maris’ pastoral ministry. Its mission is simple yet profound: to help students find direction and purpose in their lives by pointing them toward the essential—the “North” that leads them to a deeper friendship with Jesus Christ. This friendship brings fulfillment to human desires, making life more fully human and divinely purposeful.
Pillars of the Program:
1. The Human Body as a Temple of the Holy Spirit
The body is a sacred witness to Creation, revealing that our existence is an act of love. It calls us to live in self-gift, honoring both our physical and spiritual nature.
2. Human Mediations
God’s gifts come to us through others—parents, teachers, friends, priests, community, etc. We are not called to isolation but to communion. Through shared activities such as singing, eating, hiking, dancing, and storytelling, we grow in friendship with God.
3. Sacramental Vision
In Jesus, God became one of us, a man like us in everything but sin. In his life he fulfilled the goal of Creation. From this perspective, everything that is human has been transformed and has become the place where God is manifested. This sacramental vision allows us to see the divine in everything.
4. Rites of Passage
In a world where rituals have been lost, we recognize the importance of rites that help us understand life with depth and perspective. A rite of passage offers three dimensions: the union of body and word, the act of grateful memory for the gifts received, and the promise for the future with hope.
Itinerary:
Each year, students engage in a program that mirrors their sacramental journey, addressing different aspects of human life (food, clothing, relationships, responsibility, etc.). The journey begins with a Focus Retreat, where students are invited to personally choose their path for the year. Through ongoing activities involving students, teachers, parents, and the chaplain, students discover how faith illuminates the greatness of the human person. The program culminates in a rite of passage, where the spiritual fruits are celebrated and a promise for the future is made.
Itinerary
• 1st Year: First Assembly
• 2nd Year: First Communion
• 3rd Year: Altar Serving Training
• 4th Year: Symposium (Banquet) – The Art of Eating / Taste Star
• 5th Year: Play / Theatre – On the Stage
• 6th Year: Musical – The Language of the Body
• 7th Year: Teen STAR – The Beauty of Chastity
• 8th Year: Confirmation – Assertiveness and Manliness
• 9th Year: Marian Walk – Mary, Our Mother
• 10th Year: Pilgrimage to St. James – Life is a Pilgrimage
• 11th Year: Pilgrimage to Poland – Veritas Amoris (The Truth of Love)
• 12th Year: Pilgrimage to Rome – Veritas Amoris (The Truth of Love)
The Polaris Project offers a holistic and enriching path for students, guiding them not only in their academic growth but also in their spiritual journey toward a life rooted in faith, community, and purpose.
