Dear Cathedral Family,
February, my favorite month of the year, begins with National Catholic Schools Week, which runs from January 29-February 4. Catholic schools, in general, and Cathedral High School, in particular, are near and dear to my heart.
After a first-grade Halloween Day accident involving a Lone Ranger mask, a fire extinguisher, and 15 stitches on top of my head, my parents enrolled me at Immaculate Conception Elementary School, and it has been Catholic school for me ever since. My father worked as Bingo Bob for the Catholic schools in Traverse City, Michigan, to help pay our family's tuition. He went on to start the annual golf outing and auction that are staples at so many Catholic high schools. In 1980, I graduated from St. Francis High School, then St. Joseph's College, and finally to the Catholic University of America, where I earned my Ph.D. (with an MA from Columbia Teachers College in between St. Joseph's and the Catholic University of America.) I returned to work at my Catholic high school 20 years after graduation and have worked in Catholic schools ever since.
Before working in Catholic schools, I was able to work in non-Catholic schools for 16 years, including as a Peace Corps volunteer and a public school teacher in New Jersey, New York City, and Grand Rapids, Michigan, and then for five years at the Escola Americana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. While I certainly respect non-Catholic schools and their teachers, I know from experience that Christ-centered education is the best way to go. It only makes sense, as the founder of Holy Cross education, Basil Moreau, stated: "to educate the heart and the mind." He also said that "the mind cannot be educated at the expense of the heart." We see evidence of that every day on the Hill, with prayer and reminders of our faith at the core of our school.
This month, we will joyfully gather for our annual ShamrAuction, and I will recall my dear old dad coming home from auctions each year with a new and unique item, purchased after "winning" a bid, and all done in support of Catholic schools. May our supporters this year follow my dad's example in their generosity.
I conclude this month's message with an appropriate and timeless quote from St. John Bosco, who courageously educated the hearts and minds of young people, and whose methods we still model today: "Study to become very rich, but rich in virtue, because the greatness of all treasures is the holy fear of God."
May God be praised, and Go Irish!
Rob Bridges, Ph.D.
President
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Joyful J-Term
Cathedral High School was excited to host its second J-Term during the first two weeks of January. Our fantastic educators were incredibly innovative as they exposed students to new subjects and offered unique travel and service opportunities. Some wonderful courses offered included Outdoor Safety Certification, Yoga and Wellness, 3-D Printing, Introduction to Special Education, Mock Trial, All About Fashion, Farm Life, and so much more. The photo featured for this article is from the Freshmen Experience, in which the Class of 2026 built new relationships and continued to emerge into the Cathedral's culture. J-Term trips included a New York Cabaret Experience in New York City, Marine Biology in Key Largo, Florida, an HBCU/Black Heritage Experience through Tennessee and Alabama, and Living Latin in Rome.
More than 150 students participated in internships in various fields, including education, service, medicine, business, finance, marketing, fashion and design, real estate, and more.
We hope J-term ignited interests that our students never even realized they had. Feel free to view photos from our J-Term classes on Cathedral's FlickR album. You can click here to see the complete list of J-Term courses.
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ShamrAuction -
Saddle Up!
Join in on the ShamrAuction fun with a Late Night Ticket! Tables are sold out for the 46th annual ShamrAuction, but for the first time ever, tickets can be purchased to join in the fun for dancing, late-night snacks, and all the rodeo fun, including an exclusive gift sponsored by Bier Brewery. Reserve your ticket and Saddle Up today!
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Students Advance in American Math Contest
This year, Cathedral has two students who qualified for the second round of the American Mathematics Competition. This honor is reserved for about five percent of the students who compete in the first round, all of whom are mathematically talented. The second test in the national three-test series (which determines the United States Mathematics Olympiad Team) is called the American Invitational Math Exam. Reece Bonhomme '25 and Cade Johnson '23 will take the exam on February 7. It is a three-hour, 15-question, no-calculator exam. Best of luck, Cade and Reece! No matter how you add it up, we're proud of you! Lisa Ford moderates Cathedral's Math League along with the support of the entire Cathedral Math Department.
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Debater Qualifies for Nationals
Maddie Taylor '23 has qualified for the National Finals in Speech and Debate. Her event is congressional debate.
This is Maddie's second year qualifying for Nationals! Way to go, Maddie!
Jeanne Malone is Cathedral's Debate Coach. Chris Gray and Lainey Adams are the assistant coaches.
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Student-Athletes Sign Letters of Intent
Congratulations to these talented student-athletes who signed their letters of intent in December. Roughly 2% of high school athletes go on to compete at the college level.
We are very proud of your scholar athletes!
Pictured left to right in the front row:
Andrew Trobridge - Football - Depauw University
Brennan Wooten - Football - Western Michigan University
Jaron Tibbs - Football - Purdue University
Sterling Smith - Football - Holy Cross College
Patrick Kendall - Football - United States Military Academy (Army)
Pictured back row left to right:
Giovanni Leon - Soccer - Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Sidney Sanders - Track and Field - Miami University (Ohio)
Mallory Dills - Volleyball - Washington University in St. Louis
Brayden Moyars - Volleyball - Lourdes University
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Trivia Night
Mark your calendars for April 28 for the 10th annual Cathedral Trivia Night, presented by Old National Bank.
As always, Trivia Night will feature a silent auction, 50/50 raffle (License #003287), and competition for the best-themed table. Find out more and get your team ready today!
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Free Will Program
Cathedral is proud to share a new resource to help you care for yourself, your loved ones, and your communities. We've partnered with FreeWill to provide a secure, online estate planning resource to protect what matters most in as little as 20 minutes. Whether you have a long list of resolutions or a few key goals, estate planning is one simple yet impactful way to care for all that God has blessed you with, year after year. Get started here today.
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Summer is Calling!
Registration is now open for Camp Cathedral 2023! Camp Cathedral offers nearly 80 Enrichment and Sports Camps between June 5 and July 28. Camps include STEM, creative writing, performing arts, leadership, adventure, and so much more!
Register today because camps fill up fast! Hope to see you and your family this summer on the Hill!
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