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Prayer, Liturgy, & Sacramental Life

At McNicholas, we are rooted in our experience of God in our daily lives, and so prayer is at the center of all that we do as a community. 

Our actions are shaped by the many opportunities to experience God’s love through prayer and reflection within the classroom setting as well as in the sacred space of our school’s chapel. Each school day begins and ends in prayer, and all members of the community share in the experience of prayer through communal worship at prayer services and within the celebration of Mass.  Throughout the year, students, faculty, and staff have the opportunity for prayer in Adoration, Reconciliation, Lenten Stations of the Cross, and class prayer services.

Eucharitic minister offers cup to fellow student


 

Friday Morning Mass and Prayer

Students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni are welcome to gather for worship at Mass every Friday at 7 a.m. in our school’s chapel.


Prayer in the Chapel

In the midst of the busyness of life, students are always welcome to the sacred space of our school’s chapel for quiet reflection and prayer. Student study Bibles are on hand for the practice of Lectio Divina. On occasion, groups will meet for formal group prayer before school, during lunch, or after school.


All-School Masses

We gather across the street at the sanctuary of Guardian Angels Parish for monthly masses and Holy Day celebrations. Students are encouraged to full and active participation in the liturgy as Eucharistic ministers, lectors, servers, and vocal and instrumental musicians.
 

2024-2025 All-School Masses

August 15 | Opening All School Mass
September 5 | All School Mass
October 18 | All School Mass
November 1 | Solemnity of All Saints
December 12 | Our Lady of Guadalupe

January 29 | Catholic Schools Week
February 14 | All School Mass
March 5 | Ash Wednesday
April 15 | Stations of the Cross
May 9 | Closing All School Mass

Military History Club encourages faithful citizenship

McNicholas is proud of our active Military History Club that honors our country and our veterans in the classroom and beyond. Students have worked to restore the graves of Revolutionary War veterans, earned national recognition on the Americanism & Government Test competition, and learned from the stories of American soldiers.

Rockets join with CancerFree KIDS to fight pediatric cancer

Over 60 Rockets participated in the CancerFree KIDS Night for the Fight, raising money for pediatric cancer research and honoring families affected by cancer.  As part of the Leadership Team, juniors Addy Must and Ellie Suttles helped lead hundreds of high school students in this inspiring all-night event.

Student pours dirt into garden

McNicholas students celebrated Catholic School Week with a school-wide Day of Christ’s Love in Action. Each academic department facilitated a different service project so that students had an opportunity to touch many lives as they worked their way through their class schedules.

CREW Program takes Flight

McNicholas is excited to officially launch our Flight Program, an extension of the CREW program that was established in the fall of 2020. 

Portrait of Principal Bob Noll

We are pleased to welcome Mr. Bob Noll as the Principal of McNicholas High School. Mr. Noll officially begins his tenure at McNicholas on July 1, but he has already been hard at work learning about the McNicholas community and paving a smooth transition from Mr. Dave Mueller’s tenure to his. He describes the energy at McNicholas as “live-giving.”

Front of the Capstone Symposium invitation

Members of the Class of 2023 presented their social justice service-learning projects to a standing-room only audience during the 2023 Capstone Symposium. Using the Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching as inspiration, students researched and explored ways to use their God-given brilliance to actively love God and their neighbor.

Front of the Capstone Symposium invitation

All members of the McNicholas community are invited to the Capstone Symposium on April 27 at 7 p.m. to hear members of the Class of 2023 present their Social Justice Capstone Projects. Over the past year, members of the Class of 2023 worked collaboratively to discern and implement a passion projects aimed at making a difference in the lives of others.

McNicholas celebrates and says goodbye to Sr. Judi Keehnen, CSJ

Sr. Judi Keehnen ‘59 received a special blessing from Fr. Jan Schmidt ‘72 as her ministry in Cincinnati and at McNicholas draws to a close. Sr. Judi has been a part of the fabric of McNicholas High School since she entered McNicholas as a freshman in 1955. Since her graduation in 1959, she has served her alma mater as a teacher, coach, school board member, alumni board member, archivist, and volunteer.

Senior leads city-wide CancerFree KIDS Night for the Fight event

As a member of the Executive Leadership Board for CancerFree KIDS Night for the Fight, senior Shelby Highfield is working to “knock out cancer.” Her heart and hard work as a member of the board helped CancerFree Kids to raise over $245,000 for cancer research. Seven teams of students from McNicholas participated in the event as well, contributing to that total.

McNicholas student tutors student at Sands Montessori.

More than 40 McNicholas students are skipping study hall for a good reason: They’re tutoring kids at Sands Montessori, Mt. Washington Elementary, and St. Joseph Catholic School. Through a program launched in the 2021-22 school year, our students provide reading enrichment at Sands, math and language arts support at Mt. Washington, and homework assistance at St. Joe’s.

Fr. Kevin Scalf, C.PP.S. teaches a theology course.

Since becoming school Chaplain and Theology teacher in 2021, Fr. Kevin Scalf of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood has woven himself into the fabric of McNicholas through his wit, sense of humor and ability to make anyone he meets immediately feel valued.

McNicholas freshmen laughing together

The Theology Department held their annual Heritage Week, a mini course for the freshman class highlighting the history, legacy, culture and vision of McNicholas High School. Students learned about our founders the Sisters of Saint Joseph, our namesake Archbishop John T. McNicholas, and the values and mission we continue to strive toward today.

McNicholas HAC Youth Justice Award honorees

McNicholas student organization Hands Across Campus (HAC) was honored for their compassionate leadership by the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center (IJPC).  At their annual gathering, IJPC awarded the first Youth Justice Award to HAC for their work to promote justice, diversity, and inclusion at McNicholas and in the community.  

Group photo at Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center

During a six-day service immersion retreat, 12 seniors visited eastern Tennessee to serve the rural poor and build a community both among themselves and with the people in the Appalachian Mountains. This marks the 41st year that McNicholas has traveled to areas in Appalachia in conjunction with Glenmary Home Missioners, a Catholic organization dedicated to serving the poor and establishing a Catholic presence in rural areas of the United States.

McNicholas students gardening at Narrow Ridge

The McNicholas Mission & Ministry Team wants to remind and encourage students to walk with the two feet of love: charitable works and social justice. As the video "Two Feet of Love in Action" by the USCCB reminds us, “God gave us two feet. If we don’t use both, we don’t get very far.” As such, McNicholas expects students to walk with both feet during their four years as Rockets, requiring at least 40 hours of Christian service prior to graduation.

Group photo of students from Barcelona

McNicholas welcomed 5 students from Collegi Casp, a sister school in Barcelona, Spain, for a 3-week study abroad program. During their stay, Ariadna, Ana, Andrea, Biel, and Abel lived with McNicholas host families, explored Cincinnati, and experienced life as a Rocket. They participated in clubs, cheered from the Launch Pad, attended a full class schedule, and even helped in our Spanish classes.  

McNicholas student shares during Leadership McNick seminar.

McNicholas is excited to unveil Leadership McNick, its newest initiative in the development of compassionate leaders. Leadership McNick is a four-year, intentional growth experience that combines high-quality leadership training with small-group relationship building, retreat programming, vocation and career exploration, and formal and informal mentoring.

McNicholas students pack hygiene kits to send to Manna from Heaven Outreach.

Partnering with Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, members of the RLC collected and packed hygiene kits to send to Manna from Heaven Outreach, a group working to support the people of Eastern Kentucky who were devastated by the recent flooding. With a focus on Community, Curiosity, and Creativity, the RLC provides students with the opportunity to learn through community engagement.

McNicholas students work cooperatively during leadership retreat.

The Class of 2025 grew in compassionate leadership this week as they bonded together during leadership formation. This day of formation laid the groundwork for the Leadership McNick program, a joint venture between McNicholas and the Xavier University Leadership Center (XLC), that will officially kick off next school year.

McNicholas students lead Angels through CANabiliites Program

As part of the Guardian Angels School’s CANabilities Program, McNicholas hosted the eighth grade class from GA, leading them through a morning of witness, reflection, and activities fostering kindness and compassion.

McNicholas senior poses with his rescue dog.

Around McNicholas, you will often hear the phrase, “Once a Rocket, Always a Rocket.” So when one of your own is about to play on football’s biggest stage, we don’t just cheer (though we’ve been doing a lot of that!).  We act. To support 2004 McNicholas graduate Kevin Huber, senior Grant Must designed and marketed a “Rockets show their stripes” t-shirt whose proceeds benefit Huber’s FUR Foundation.

McNicholas celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with a bilingual Mass

Over the past month, Hands Across Campus (HAC) has led our community in the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, a time dedicated to recognizing influential Hispanic Americans and their positive impact on society.