D'Amour Center for Faith, Service & Justice

Shaping Your Mind and Moral Compass

Embark on an educational experience where intellect, ethics, and spirituality converge. Here, your journey goes beyond academics and nurtures you as a complete individual prepared to lead and serve in a diverse, ever-changing world.

Inspired by our Catholic heritage, the D'Amour Center for Faith, Service & Justice lies at the heart of Canterbury’s mission. Under one umbrella structure, it centralizes the School’s community service, social justice, campus ministry, and servant leadership programming. It serves as home to Canterbury’s many service activities, retreats, discussion groups, and prayerful meditation throughout the day. It provides opportunities for enhanced intellectual inquiry, experiential learning, dialogue, and reflection across disciplines and throughout our community.

Pillars of Your Learning Journey

At Canterbury, we believe the integration of service, social justice, and faith into your educational journey is more than just enriching—it's essential. These pillars deepen your understanding of the world, nurturing your ethical and spiritual self alongside your intellectual growth. Engaging in service and social justice initiatives broadens your horizons and imbues you with a sense of moral responsibility, while the aspect of faith serves as a grounding force, giving context and meaning to your actions. Together, these elements not only sharpen your skills in empathy, collaboration, and critical thinking, but they also empower you to apply classroom knowledge to real-world issues.

In combining intellectual growth with moral and spiritual development, we equip you to be an active, responsible citizen in a complex, ever-changing world.

Faith

Explore the role of faith in your life and the lives of others within an inclusive, interfaith community

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Service

Develop empathy, leadership, and a sense of civic responsibility by giving generously of yourself for others

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Justice

Empower yourself to challenge inequalities, foster inclusivity, and advocate for meaningful change

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Social Justice Series

Canterbury’s Social Justice Series, part of the D’Amour Center for Faith, Service & Justice, reflects our commitment to educating students who think deeply, act responsibly, and lead with integrity.

The series creates opportunities for students to engage with real-world topics that shape human experience—through personal storytelling, guest speakers, and guided reflection. These conversations are designed to encourage empathy, foster respectful dialogue, and help students consider how their values influence their choices.

Grounded in Canterbury’s Catholic heritage and educational mission, the Social Justice Series supports our broader goal of forming thoughtful, principled leaders. As an independent school, we take seriously our responsibility to develop both the intellect and character of every student—preparing them to contribute meaningfully to the communities and challenges they will encounter in life.

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Form Retreats

Every year, your Form retreat serves as a vital component of your educational journey, transcending the boundaries of traditional academics to offer a transformative experience. These retreats are intentionally designed to deepen your sense of community, encourage self-reflection, and cultivate leadership qualities. Whether it's through team-building exercises, thought-provoking discussions, or outdoor adventures, you'll find that these excursions allow you to connect with your classmates and educators on a more personal level. More than just a break from routine, each retreat is a stepping stone toward personal growth and collective understanding, enriching your time at Canterbury in a truly unique way.

Third Form Retreat

The Living Mass: a program of reflection and connection in a local state park

Fourth Form Retreat

Building Community: a local community service project

Fifth Form Retreat

Servant Leadership: a dinner and discussion

Sixth Form Retreat

Transitions: small on-campus discussion groups

Emmaus

This optional three-day, off-campus retreat for Fifth and Sixth Form students is a unique opportunity for you to step away from your daily routines and explore the deeper aspects of your spirituality, values, and personal growth. Held in a serene setting, this retreat provides a safe space for you to reflect on your individual relationship with faith, engage in thoughtful dialogue with your peers, and participate in enriching activities that bring spiritual concepts to life.

Guided by trained facilitators and assisted by Canterbury Sacristans, you'll explore thought-provoking themes that challenge you to look inward, ask meaningful questions, and consider your role in the broader community. It's not just a retreat—it's a transformative experience that enriches your journey at Canterbury, nurturing your mind, body, and spirit.

Communi-TEA

Every Wednesday evening in the D’Amour Center, our Sacristans host CommuniTEA, a low-key, relaxing time in a welcoming space for you to gather, converse, and reflect together with your classmates and friends over some tea and snacks. It is also open to all students and adults on campus.

Our Space

In 2019, Canterbury received an historic philanthropic gift to name the D’Amour Center for Faith, Service & Justice in the new Steers Center, which opened in fall 2020. This gift represents a physical embodiment of our commitment to the founding traditions that lie at the center of our School’s mission.

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