Welcome to St. Paul's Parish Day School.

In 1971 St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Ventura, inaugurated the day school as our primary outreach to Ventura. Our purpose has always been to provide an alternative to public education in an environment that is open to the spiritual development of our students. Though a religious curriculum is not offered, all students and teachers gather for chapel daily. In worship we express our thanks to God for the blessings of our lives and gain strength from the Bible and sacraments for daily living.

Wednesdays, from October to June, the school gathers for the weekly celebration of the Holy Eucharist or Holy Communion. It is our custom for students and faculty to give thanks (the Greek word is Eucharist) according to the Lord's command by consuming the blessed bread and wine that through God's action becomes the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Doing so we participate in Jesus' life, the life of God, and are strengthened to be God's children in the world.

Throughout the first week of October the chapel lessons introduce our students to Jesus' last supper with his disciples (Luke 22:7-20), its relationship to the miraculous feeding of a crowd of 5000+ people with five loaves of bread and two fish (John 6:1-14), that we receive the bread of life through faith (John 6:27-33). The chapel homilies will speak about these stories and our practice at St. Paul's.

All students participate by class in Holy Communion at the level determined by each child's parents. Some guidelines follow.

1. Full participation in the Holy Eucharist by receiving Holy Communion is contingent upon having been baptized and parental consent.

2. Baptism signifies full membership in the household of God. It is the practice of the Episcopal Church to welcome any baptized person to receive Holy Communion regardless of their denomination, age or level of cognitive understanding.

As regards  the customs of the Episcopal Church:

a. Holy Communion consists of two elements, the blessed bread and wine, the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Many young children do no care for the taste of wine. They may elect not to partake of the wine in the usual ways it is administered, refusing to sip from the common cup or having the bread dipped into it by the Eucharistic minister. Holy Communion may be received by eating the blessed bread alone.

b. The whole class comes to the communion rail, so that no one is left out. Those not wanting to receive Holy Communion signal their intention by crossing their arms over their chest. They will receive a blessing - you may say it is a different kind of communion. No one is excluded from God's table and God's love.

I am happy to receive your questions and concerns about the school Holy Eucharist or to talk about Holy Baptism. Please share them with me. I am conveniently reached on campus Monday through Thursday, or by phone on the church line 805-643-5033 ext 12.

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