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Dear Cathedral Family,
“...that was an indication of the kind of school Cathedral would become.”
From the Cathedral Class of 1921’s Stanley Boyle, these words were more prescient than he would ever believe. As our country and society suffered under the pandemic of the “Spanish Flu” in September 1918, our founders bravely opened our doors for the first time. Stanley describes in Cathedral-Seventy Five Years (authored by Bill Shover '46 and James Obergfell, Hon. '92) how we opened our doors with a few brothers and a small nest egg to pay them. “I rode a bike to school,” said Boyle, “and wore a mask over my face. Everybody wore masks. It looked like Halloween, but it was necessary.” The history book even tells that the three existing public schools at that time, Shortridge, Manuel, and Arsenal Tech, were closed for a month due to “the grippe,” but Cathedral stayed open.
Honestly, this page from our history book inspired us to safely navigate the directives from the Health Department to stay open in August 2020. I was recently interviewed for a book on the lessons learned from that whole COVID-19 experience, and although the details are now hazy, I look back with pride on how we were able to be open for face-to-face learning for the most part during the 2020-2021 school year. Other Catholic and private schools joined us, coast-to-coast, and a whole new population came to our doors and experienced the joy and wonder (and results!) of Catholic schools for the first time. And these newcomers, for the most part, stayed. In fact, for the 2024-25 school year, enrollment at Catholic schools nationwide grew for the first time in nearly 50 years!
As we grind or stride through the final weeks of Lent, the rewards of the joy of Easter and the warmth of spring weather await us. The lessons of Lent and the practices of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving are noble and healthy habits for us year-round. We know that part of the allure of Catholic schools is that we emphasize discipline, which our children (and adults!) need. We know it took great strength and courage for our founders to open their doors for the first time in the throes of the Spanish Flu pandemic, which had already claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in 1918. Since then, the same focus has been needed to keep Cathedral open every year. I am pleased to share that even through all of our changes, we still lean on the disciplines of our faith and hope for the joy of Easter every day here on the hill.
I ask you to take a few moments to read our Mission Integration Officer Matt Gring's Monthly Message about our Holy Cross Value of Hope.
Thank you for your years of support, and may we all stay strong right through Holy Week as we prepare our hearts for Easter joy.
God bless,
Dr. Rob Bridges
President
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Congrats to the Top of the Class of 2025!
Please join us in congratulating our top graduates for the Class of 2025! These young people took our most rigorous courses while participating in peer ministry, St. André projects, show choir, band, theater, speech and debate, athletics, part-time jobs, and numerous other activities.
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Graduating Summa Cum Laude, the top 5% of the class, are the following students:
(Seated front row, left to right)
Oliver Berle, Reece Bonhomme, Kristen Castellino, Samuel Everly, Gabrielle Hadad.
(Standing back row, left to right)
Briar Keehn, Danica McLinn, Ryan Peterson, Emily Pohl, Olivia Uskert, William Wise, Lauren Wright, and Gregory Bishop (Bottom headshot)
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Graduating Magna Cum Laude, the top 10% of the class, are the following students:
(Seated left to right)
Sophia Beeson, Reina Brooks, Emily Cortese, Jill Dorsey, and Elise Elpers.
(Standing left to right) Katherine Lade, Izzy Miramonti, Mary Kate Pastorino, Justin Scott, Mick Webb, Gideon Zawadzki, and Anna Moore (right headshot)
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Graduating Cum Laude, the top 15% of the class, are the following students:
(Seated left to right)
Paul Arthur, Anna Brennan, Dom Busack, Christopher Dravis, and Emma Drewry.
(Standing left to right) Kathryn Kirschner, Alex Lefebvre, Thomas Mariani, Jacqueline Quadrini, Veronica Rondinella, Jake Shelton, Addie Stanley, Zayra Pallikan, and Jack Bradshaw (right headshot).
Please join us in congratulating these outstanding students on answering the call to greatness with extraordinary determination, perseverance, and zeal!
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Greatness is Calling!
As the Class of 2025 gets ready for graduation and the Class of 2029 prepares for the fall, we invite prospective members of the Class of 2030 to schedule a visit. The next Parent Coffee is Thursday, April 10, at 9:30 a.m. in our Johnny Mac's Coffeehouse in Cathedral's Shiel Student Life Center. Stop by, grab a cup of coffee, and ask our admissions team any questions you may have about the admissions process.
Register today for the next Parent Coffee or schedule a visit. Greatness is calling!
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Huge Honors for Speech and Debate
Bailey Brownlow '26 (pictured in the center of the left photo) and Sophia Beeson '25 (pictured right in the left photo) have qualified for Nationals! Sophia qualified in U.S. Extemporaneous, and Bailey qualified in Original Oratory. Also, Sophia was selected District Student of the Year, and Cathedral's Coach Jeanne Malone (pictured left in left photo) was named District Coach of the Year! Our Speech and Debate Team placed third at the State Championships. Congratulations to all!
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Junior Qualifies for National Science Olympiad!
Please join us in congratulating Nolan McCracken '26 on qualifying for the National Science Olympiad! Our Chemistry Team placed 5th in its first competition at the same qualifying event. Well done! Founded in 1984, the Science Olympiad is the premier STEM competition in the country, showcasing some of the brightest young science minds in the country. Among his rigorous course load is an Independent Chemistry Course with AP Chemistry Vicki Roessler. Your Cathedral family is so proud of you, Nolan!
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Show Choir -
Tuning in Success
Please join us in congratulating our fabulous choir program on extraordinary performances at the Fame National Competition at Hard Rock Live in Orlando. Concert Choir, Irish Adrenaline, and Adrenaline Rush Show Choirs won Grand Champion, and Ashlyn Jemison ‘25 and Sam Funk ‘26 earned Best Performer Awards! In addition, our choirs captured awards for Best Original Repertoire, Best Tech Crew, and the Fame overall National Champion! Congratulations to Choir Director Marian Bender, Assistant Jordan Fox, our performers, and all the "backstage angels" on an incredible show choir season!
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Answering the Call to Greatness!
Luke McGinley '25 and Abby Beasley '25 (left photo) were awarded Ancient Order of Hibernian Scholarships. Luke received the Pat McNulty '69 AOH Scholarship, and Abby was awarded the Jim McCaughna '62 AOH Scholarship.
Alijah Poston '25 (center photo) received the Center for Leadership Development's Torchbearer Prize for Youth Excellence. Each year, CLD leadership selects one male and one female who strongly embodies the CLD Principles for Success for this distinguished honor.
Sam Everly '25 (right photo) won the Daughters of the American Revolution Essay Contest. He was thrilled to read his essay during the group's recent awards luncheon. Sam's essay was about how, through service to our country and our fellow citizens, we promote our American identity and improve our country.
Congratulations to these phenomenal seniors on answering the call to greatness!
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Don't Miss the Spring Musical!
You won't want to miss this year's spring musical, The Hunchback of Notre Dame! The show runs May 1- 4 in the Joe O'Malia Performing Arts Center.
Purchase your tickets today!
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Fabulous Black Student Union Assembly
During a recent assembly, Cathedral's Black Student Union showcased how Black culture and fashion have influenced fashion in America. Starting with the traditional kente cloth and shuka and finishing with alumni clothing brands, Struggle Made Me (Aaron Green '09) and Paper Dreams (Maurice Brookins '02), current fashion has been shaped and influenced by Black pioneers for generations. Special thanks to BSU moderator Jean Smith '97, our models, performers, emcees, the clothing designers, and all our parent supporters. The assembly was a beautiful celebration of culture and fashion!
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Camps Filling Up Fast!
Now that spring break is over, it's time to make sure you've firmed up your children's summer plans! Several Camp Cathedral Enrichment Camps are almost full! Those camps include American Sign Language, Advanced Competitive Middle School Speech, Show Choir Extravaganza (Elementary and Middle School Camps), Media Podcasting/Broadcasting, Creative Writing, Exploring the World of Dance, Ready, Set... French, and Minecraft!
Camp season is June 2 - July 25. Click here to find out more and register today!
Also, if you or someone you know is looking for summer employment, Camp Cathedral is seeking to fill Camp staff positions for the 2025 season. Interested current college-aged applicants can fill out this application.
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Obituary Notices
The Cathedral Alumni Association does its best to keep alumni notified of the passing of their classmates as well as current and former Cathedral educators. This is done with much sadness and reverence. With that said, we can only accomplish this task with the help of our alumni. If you know of the death of a member of our Cathedral family, please notify us via email at alumni@gocathedral.com. If you would like to be notified of all obituary notices sent to the Cathedral family, please click here to sign up.
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Coming Up on the Hill
April 10 - Prospective Parent Coffee - 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
April 18 - Good Friday - No School
April 20 - Easter Sunday - Happy Easter!
April 21- Easter Monday - No School
April 24 - All-Out Irish Day of Giving
April 25 - Senior Mass and Awards
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