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Dear Cathedral Family,
Last week, I was blessed to attend a silent retreat at The Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky. While this peaceful place is most well-known as where Thomas Merton found God and himself, The Abbey continues to be where regular people, like me, can find some peace and, yes, God. Allow me to share a special moment with you:
I arrived after dark on Monday night and was able to find my key and room, and I settled in for the night. The monks start early, with morning prayer (Lauds) at 5:45, followed by Mass. I joined the 40 or so guests in the back rows of the dimly lit church and followed along the Lauds with the 30 monks. When Lauds concluded, the few lights were turned off, and all that was visible was the strong, single candle from the tabernacle at the far end of the church, piercing the darkness. Just then, seemingly right on cue, a flash of lightning was followed by a loud clap of thunder that seemed to shake the bricks, as if God was telling us that he was also awake at this morning hour. It was stunning, and as the church returned to silence, I took it all in. Wow. A God moment indeed.
In the Mass that followed, I also want to share the short and simple message from the homily as a theme for this month's message. The Gospel that day was the passage from Luke where Jesus says, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it" - Luke 8:21. The priest shared that the brothers in the monastery did not choose each other, just as all of us do not choose our families, but we make the best of it. He told of a particular monk who was very troubled by another monk and confessed one day that he could not stand to be around him. The confessor said, "He is your prince! He will teach you how to love!" What a message for all of us. Every challenge, everyone who irritates us or gets under our skin, is a prince or princess to us! They teach us patience and forgiveness and to love. As we embrace each beautiful day, I ask you to keep this in mind, hear the Word of God, and act on it with love, acceptance, and zeal.
This week, we get to show our community how special and loving our school is with our annual Open House on Thursday, October 3rd. If you know of someone with a middle school student, thank you in advance for encouraging them to register on our website and attend! Our campus is as beautiful as any campus I have seen, and we are ready to open our doors to all this Thursday!
I also want to thank our Advancement Team for a superb Evening of Excellence last week! Over the past several weeks, our advancement team has had numerous events and has executed all of them with zeal and excellence!
In a few short weeks, we will send off two groups of Educators/Pilgrims to France and Italy as the Year Two of our educator trips to trace the roots of our faith. Last year's groups described their experiences as "life-changing," and we are very grateful for the generosity of Dan '70 and Betsy Brunette for making this possible. Please keep our pilgrims in your prayers during our Fall Break (the week of October 14th). We pray for a safe and enriching journey for all twelve of them!
In closing, I thank those of you who reach out to me each month and encourage me in this blessed work we do. Our world is boisterous and troubled, as it always has been. The time for hope is now, and just as that single candle in the church in Gethsemani shone so brightly, we all, each and every one of us, can shine brightly in our words and our deeds. Our school on the Hill continues to be a special place of brightness and hope, and indeed Zeal, our Holy Cross Core Value of the year. Making God known, loved, and served is part of our daily mission. As we continue to educate the hearts and minds of a diverse group of students this month, please keep us in your prayers, and especially our Classroom Educators, who toil every day, often unseen by any other adult. Think of that, if you will, for a moment. While the rest of the world roils and rocks, our Educators are hard at it, praying with, educating, and forming our young people into the saints they were meant to be. If you have the opportunity, please say a special prayer for all Classroom Educators everywhere, that they have the strength, the health, and yes, the zeal to continue to persevere on the "front lines" with our young people. May they be blessed today and always!
As you reflect on our mission and our Holy Cross Core Values, I invite you to click here to read the October message from our Chief Mission Integration Officer, Matthew Gring.
Thank you for your support and prayers, especially for our colleague and sister, Kathy Pivonka, as she continues to battle leukemia bravely. May she and all of us be nourished by the Word and the bread of life, and may we "hear the word of God and act on it."
Thank you, and Go Irish! St. Br. Andre, pray for us! Our Lady of the Hill, pray for us!
Humbly and gratefully,
Rob Bridges, PhD
President
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See You At
Open House!
Please invite your friends, relatives, and neighbors to join us on the Hill for the Cathedral Open House on Thursday, October 3rd, as we celebrate excellence and highlight our students' experiences in academics, athletics, service, the arts, and more! Explore our beautiful 40-acre campus, meet students, educators, and parents, and learn more about the Cathedral family! At 5 p.m., celebrate Mass and enjoy the Open House from 5:30-8:00 p.m. Register today! Open House is a wonderful opportunity to feel the spirit and zeal of the Hill! Prospective students are encouraged to start the application process to sign up for a Shadow Day and a more personalized experience. Also, don't forget to register for CYO Football Night on Friday, October 11th, at Butler University. Greatness is calling!
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First Fall Production - Once Upon A Pine
Our Theatre Department invites everyone to its first production of the year, "Once Upon a Pine: The Adventures of Pinocchio." Our students are directing this delightful production, which promises to be fun for the entire family! The show is on Saturday, October 5th at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday, October 6th at 2 p.m. Students and children under 10 get in free of charge. Click here to purchase your tickets today!
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National
Merit
Semifinalists
Congratulations to Cathedral’s National Merit Semifinalists, Reece Bonhomme ‘25 (pictured far right), Briar Keehn ‘25 (pictured second from left, and Emily Pohl ‘25 (pictured far left).
More than 1.5 million juniors entered the National Merit Scholarship Program last year by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.
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Commended Scholars
Cathedral is proud to recognize our four National Merit Commended Scholars! These academically gifted students placed among the top 50,000 who entered the competition by taking the 2023 PSAT. While they will not continue in the National Merit Scholarship Program, these students are celebrated for their exceptional academic achievement and promise. Congratulations to Sophia Beeson '25, Gregory Bishop '25, Alexander Lefebvre '25, and Olivia Uskert '25.
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9/11 Mass - Van Wienen Receives Scholarship
Cathedral was honored to host the Indianapolis Firefighters Emerald Society 9/11 Memorial Mass. Members of the IFD joined Cathedral at Mass to pray for all who were impacted by the events of September 11th. After Mass, the Emerald Society presented a scholarship to Larkyn Van Wienen ’25 for living out the Emerald Society values of fellowship, service, and development. Congratulations, Larkyn!
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Answering The Call To Greatness
Congratulations to Erika Gibson '25 (left photo) on earning her Eagle Scout Badge. Erika is a member of Troop #331.
Congratulations to Sam Everly '25 (middle photo, pictured left) and James Foster (middle photo, pictured right) on earning their Eagle Scout Badges. Both young men are members of Troop #443.
We also congratulate Civil Air Patrol Cadet Colonel Richard Griffith '25 (right photo) on receiving the Bradford Torch Award. The award honors Bradford Bego, the late son of Brian Bego '02, and his wife Jacquelyn. Bradford's dream was to serve his country as a soldier, and his family and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Military Guard keep his memory alive by honoring young people who demonstrate leadership and service.
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Regina Jones '25 - Miss Circle City Classic
Cathedral High School is thrilled to announce Regina Jones '25 is the 2024 Miss Circle City Classic! Along with the coveted title, Regina won a $5,000 scholarship and a $1,000 Apple gift card. She and the other young ladies who were part of the Miss Circle City Classic Coronation Program participated in the Circle City Classic Parade, football game, and festivities on Saturday, September 28th. The other outstanding young ladies representing Cathedral included Amyia Bell '25 (wearing the yellow gown), Leilani Jones '25 (wearing the red gown), and Aubrey Vines '25 (wearing the dark lilac gown). Cathedral Director of Lifelong Connections, Jean Smith '97, was honored to serve as the high school representative for our phenomenal scholars. Congratulations to these exceptional young ladies!
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Cathedral Shines At Evening of Excellence
Cathedral congratulates the newest Circle of Excellence inductees, who were inducted on September 26th during the Evening of Excellence.
Front Row, left to right:
Vince Lorenzano '77, Darrick Brownlow '87, Patricia Bradshaw (accepted the award for her husband, Jack Bradshaw '48), Marilyn Schneider, Ladywood School, Class of 1961 and Joan Roe, Ladywood School, Class of 1955 (accepted the award for their father, Victor Schlachter).
Back Row, left to right:
Anne Leighton Fehlinger (accepted the award for Richard Leighton '63), Mike Hunker, Barb and Dave Bego, Kathy McCullough, Jenny Matthews, and Greg Bamrick.
Also, thanks to the generosity of the Cathedral family, $1,516,600 was raised during the Evening of Excellence to support the Cathedral Fund! Thank you to our generous donors and everyone who made the Evening of Excellence a success!
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The Honorable Loretta H. Rush
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Forever Irish Ladies Brunch
Cathedral mothers, alumnae, alumni mothers, and grandmothers are invited to this year's Forever Irish Ladies Brunch on Thursday, October 30th, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Forum Event Center in Fishers.
The featured speaker is Indiana's 108th Supreme Court Justice and Indiana's first female Chief Justice, the Honorable Loretta H. Rush. As Chief Justice, she is responsible for supervising Indiana’s judicial branch and has received numerous awards, including the Indiana Chamber of Commerce Government Leader of the Year.
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Buy Your Outdoor Nativity Scene Today!
Please consider joining Cathedral High School in showcasing outdoor Nativity scenes this Christmas season. We hope the Nativity scenes will brighten neighborhoods and remind everyone of the importance of the Holy Family. Special thanks to Wade Knapp '25 for creating this video about the beauty of outdoor Nativity scenes.
The cost is only $110, with $20 of the proceeds going toward tuition assistance at Cathedral. Please click this link and order your outdoor Nativity scene today. For answers to any questions, contact Dave Worland at dworland@gocathedral.com or 317-538-0279. The sale ends on Sunday, October 6th, so order your Nativity scene today!
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Coming Up on the Hill
October 16 - Philanthropy/Free DayOctober 17-18 - Fall Break
Save the Date:
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