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Dear Cathedral Family,
The month of February is famous for its dreariness, its short days, and its lousy weather. Perhaps February is a great month to be a pessimist! But I, a self-proclaimed optimist, have a contrary thought for you. February is the best month of the year! Baseball, a sure sign of springtime, opens its doors for pitchers and catchers. National Catholic Schools Week falls during part of this month. Black History Month is ALWAYS in this wonderful month. Here on the Hill, we celebrate Winterfest and hold our annual Shamrauction. And let me not forget, the unofficial Saint of Love is celebrated on the 14th, St. Valentine! If that still doesn't convince you, then heed the timeless words of St. Paul when he says, "Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer." By making a habit of doing these things, before you know it, March and spring will be here.
National Catholic Schools Week is this week, and this is always a very special week to me personally, being a K-16 (and doctoral work as well) Catholic school student. I have also spent the last 23 years of my adult life as a Catholic School leader, so I greatly appreciate the founders of these schools in our country. Historically, our country's advent and early growth of Catholic Schools can be attributed primarily to several "heroes," notably Bishop John Carrol, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and St. John Neumann. My favorite is "Dagger" John Hughes, the first Archbishop of New York, who stood for immigrants, primarily Irish, and their right to be educated in their native language and faith. Baltimore is often credited with being the birthplace of Catholic Schools in this country. There is no dispute that the three Plenary Councils, held in Baltimore in 1852, '56, and '84, strongly urged all Catholic parishes to establish Catholic schools for the European immigrants to combat the sometimes violent anti-Catholic sentiment that was widespread at that time.
Here in Indiana, our Catholic school history is highlighted by two local "heroes," Cardinal John Ritter and Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, who began her ministry as a teacher for difficult children in France and modeled the method to "love the children first." St. Mother Theodore Guerin left the legacy of St. Mary-of-the-Woods, which still stands and is the first women's Catholic University in the United States. She was canonized in 2006, and her feast day is October 3rd.
Cardinal Ritter, born and bred here in Indiana, became the first archbishop of Indianapolis in 1944 and left a legacy as a champion for the rights of African Americans. Cardinal Ritter ordered the integration of the Catholic schools in Indianapolis, then ten years later in St. Louis, seven years before the U.S. Supreme Court ended segregation in public schools. He lived by a simple creed: "Work hard, pray hard, and don't worry."
From the beginning, Catholic Schools have been a home for students to receive love, care, and education in the Catholic faith. To this day, I believe Catholic Schools exceed any government program in bringing low-income families out of poverty. In any major city in this country, from coast to coast, you will find Catholic schools and parishes at their center, with a rich history of serving the poor, the immigrants, and anyone yearning for a Christ-centered life. As a Holy Cross school, Cathedral has always been a Catholic School with a little "special sauce"- the Holy Cross tradition of educating a diverse population in both heart and mind. We have recently doubled down on this unique school history by strengthening our partnership with another fine Holy Cross institution, the University of Notre Dame. We were selected to receive "the best of the best" from the university's impressive cadre of religious educators—the providential addition of math educators Br. Matt Rehagen and Fr. Geoff Mooney have made us a better school. We also have a wonderful Holy Cross School Chaplain, Fr. Jomy Mathew. We have become a hub for Holy Cross educators, a place that embodies the best of a Holy Cross education. There is no doubt that God is smiling at our beloved school as we strive to make today the best ever and to make it even better tomorrow. After all, it is our duty, given our history and the challenges faced by St. Mother Theodore (St. Theodora), Blessed Basil Moreau, St. Brother André, and so many more.
In closing, whether you love February or not, I ask you to join me in all of the celebrations of this month and, in a special way, pray for Catholic Schools, Black History Month and for a successful ShamrAuction. May God be praised, and Go Irish!
With a heart full of gratitude,
Rob Bridges, Ph.D.
President
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Trobridge Lands Job After J-Term Internship
Cathedral students enjoyed wonderful J-Term experiences this year. J-Term occurs the first two weeks of January. Students take a break from their regular classes to explore outside interests. We had students learn about early childhood education by spending time in our Irish Blessings Daycare. We also had students travel to Costa Rica for a service learning trip. Roughly 40 students spent time studying European history in France and Spain. Approximately 200 students embarked on internships around the state. One of our seniors, Ethan Trobridge, interned for the Holy Cross Brothers in the archives of the Midwest Province. The Brothers were incredibly impressed with Ethan's work ethic and research skills. Ethan was already planning to attend Holy Cross College in the fall, and now he'll have a job waiting for him, assisting with the archives alongside Brother Philip R. Smith, C.S.C., Ed.D.
To read more about Ethan's internship with the Brothers of Holy Cross and the phenomenal opportunity he's being given this summer, please click this link to read the article that will be published in the Brothers' Midwest/Midweek newsletter.
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Champion Debaters
Cathedral's Speech and Debate Team are State Champions in World School Debate! The team as a whole placed 7th in team sweeps! Please help us congratulate the following students: Sophia Beeson '25, Reaghan Boland '26, Julia Hurley '24, George Madden '24, Oliver Berle '25, Johnathan Beauchamp '24, Meghan Jackson '25, and Evan Meier '27. Congratulations to all!
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Wojtalik Headed to West Point
Please join us in congratulating Tess Wojtalik '24 on receiving an appointment to West Point! Her parents and brother were on campus last month for the big announcement. West Point gets roughly 14,000 applications each year and accepts about 1,100 students. Tess continues the long-standing tradition of some of Cathedral's best and brightest matriculating to one of our nation's military academies. Congratulations, Tess! Greatness called, and you answered!
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CYO Basketball Night
Join Coach Delaney and the Fighting Irish basketball team as they take on Franklin Central on Saturday, February 10, at 7:30 p.m. Students get free admission to the game and a Cathedral prize pack!
Click here and register today, or call 317-968-7370. You can also just show up and be ready to cheer on the Irish!
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ShamrAuction!
The ship is about to leave port for the 47th annual ShamrAuction: Sham Rock the Boat!
As usual, ShamrAuction is sold out, but have no fear. If you aren't able to make it on the 24th, you haven't missed the boat. There are still opportunities for you to support our beloved school. Please click this link to find out about this year's Fund A Need - Artificial Intelligence. Cathedral educators will need "a powerful tool chest" to stay ahead of AI, and that's where you can help! Your donation can help fund professional development and Educational Tech Coach positions that can help our school navigate the realities of AI. This link will remain live until February 23rd, so give today! Also, this link goes live on February 16th. Please keep it handy to bid on fabulous silent auction items and support Cathedral and her students. This year's ShamrAuction promises to be boatloads of fun!
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Band Members Earn Gold!
January 27 was a golden day for the Pride of the Irish! In addition to numerous musicians receiving a gold medal in the ISSMA Contest, nine students earned gold on a Level 1 selection and are advancing to State. Please help us congratulate the following outstanding musicians:
Aaron Marcou '24 (Taking two solos to state!), Mary Eifert '26 (Earned a perfect score!), Tyler Neucks '26, Ethan Trobridge '24, Ben Parr '27, Elijah Wasmuth '26, Lance Gratner '24, Susannah Ferris '26, and Zeek Adams '24. Congratulations to all, and good luck at State!
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Circle of Excellence
Nominations Open!
Don't miss your chance to submit a nomination for the 2024 Circle of Excellence Induction Class!
The Cathedral Circle of Excellence honors those who have perpetuated the good name of Cathedral High School by exhibiting Holy Cross values in making significant, substantial, and long-standing contributions to Cathedral or to their city, state, country, or global community.Nominations will be accepted through April 1 at 11:59 p.m. The announcement of the 2024 Cathedral Circle of Excellence inductees will be made in July. Inductees will be honored at the Evening of Excellence on September 26.
Please click here to read more and nominate someone today! For questions, email circleofexcellence@gocathedral.com or call 317.968.7333.
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Summer is Calling!
Summer is calling, so register your child now for Camp Cathedral! A record 18 camps have already sold out, so don't delay!
Camp Cathedral offers more than 50 academic, enrichment, and sports camps on Cathedral High School's sprawling 40-acre campus. Camp Cathedral provides safe and fun experiences for Kindergarten through 9th-grade students. Also, before and after-care is available! Camp Cathedral runs June 3 - July 26, so visit campcathedral.com and register today! Hope to see you on the Hill this summer!
As a reminder, prospective families can visit campus this spring or summer! Simply email admissions@gocathedral.com to schedule a private tour today!
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Coming Up on the Hill
February 14 - Ash Wednesday Mass - 9:30 a.m.February 19 - President's Day - No SchoolFebruary 23 - E-Learning Day- ShamrAuction Set-up
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