CSMC’s History at Notre Dame High School

When Notre Dame High School was founded in 1946, its earliest co-curricular organization was CSMC.  At that time, CSMC organizations were found in Catholic schools throughout the Americas to give young people the opportunity to support the work of missionaries preaching the Gospel in distant lands.  When these groups were founded in the early 20th century, CSMC stood for Catholic Student Mission Crusade. 

The first edition of the Shield, Notre Dame’s yearbook, was published in 1950.  CSMC was described therein as having three purposes: prayer, study and sacrifice – all of this to support missionaries and  people with needs in lands where missionaries were ministering.

Notre Dame’s CSMC has continued uninterrupted to the present day.  The Club has been flexible enough to meet the needs of each of decade, while retaining the original spirit of caring for those who need a “hand up”.  In the early 1950’s the focus was support of missionary activity.  In the 1960’s and 1970’s, the group began to include service to the local Church and community as well as international outreach. 

By the 1980’s, service had become part of the required curriculum at Notre Dame, which still is the case today.  Despite the fact that every student is now completing a minimum of 60 service hours as a requirement, the members of CSMC, now known at Notre Dame as Christian Student Mission Club, are men who choose to go above and beyond the curriculum requirement. 

The 1950 edition of the Shield had the following to say about CSMC:

Sacrifice is a must to the CSMC member, for he realizes that one does not attain to happiness or merit without self-denial in little things…”For what would it profit a man if he gains the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul?” 

To this day, the members of CSMC still do many little things for others.  By their sharing and sacrifice, they continue to bring the compassion of Christ to our area, our nation, and the world.  

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