At St. Peter School, faith becomes living, conscious and active though instruction and participation in prayer, worship, and sacraments. St. Peter School is one of the oldest continuously operating Catholic elementary schools in the original city of Washington, DC and currently operates under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Washington as a regional Catholic elementary school supported by the local parishes of St. Peter's, St. Joseph's, St. Dominic, St. Mary Mother of God, St. Patrick's, and the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle.
Catholic faith and values are integral to instruction at St. Peter School. A Catholic virtues program is central to the culture of the school, and all students participate in service projects as an expression of the school's mission through Student Council and the Student Families program.
Students learn about and experience the Catholic faith in a variety of ways. First and foremost, all students have regular, focused religious instruction. Students learn about the Old and New Testaments, the Ten Commandments, the life of Jesus, the lives of the saints, and the theological underpinnings of the Catholic sacraments. Middle school students also explore Catholic social teachings with the guidance of the religion teacher and the parochial vicar, who encourage faith formation through authentic questioning and self-examination.
As a school community, St. Peter's regularly celebrates Mass and comes together for events to mark the special liturgical seasons of the Church. Students in all grades attend Mass every Wednesday at St. Peter's Church, where the entire community, including students, teachers, administrators, and parents, worship together.
