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Dear Cathedral Family,
As we begin the shortest month of the year, I'd like to highlight six reasons this is the best time of the year on the Hill!
First, FaithFest 2025! A unique combination of our traditional WinterFest and National Catholic Schools Week, we had wall-to-wall fun and focused on Catholic education and class competitions. The week began on Monday, January 27, with our All-School Mass and ended on Friday, January 31, with the Golden Paddle Competition. (I know this did NOT occur in February, but it was close!)
February is Black History Month, a time for us to reflect on the many contributions of Black Americans in our country. Please click here to read the message from Chief Mission Integration Officer Matt Gring as he discusses our commitment to Diversity and Inclusiveness not just in February but every day at Cathedral.
Our largest single fundraising event is a fantastic, fun, and friend-raising event! The 48th annual Shamrauction is on February 22. I hope to see you there!
As a lead-in to Ash Wednesday and Lent, Mardi Gras and Carnaval are late this year, the first week of March. That said, our work executing our mission each day doesn't wait until Lent. Our 1,125 students have the opportunity every day in February to participate in Holy Mass at 7:30 a.m. and 11:50 a.m. and have numerous opportunities to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation right on our campus. Of course, daily prayer and service opportunities are always present here on the Hill, as we do our best to bring Christ to our young people every day! Father Jomy Mathew, C.S.C., Father Geoff Mooney, C.S.C., Brother Matt Rehagen, C.S.C., and Sister Mary Ann Stewart, S.P., help lead us in all of these faithful activities, and we are incredibly grateful for them. We've also been blessed to have two Holy Cross novices spend a few weeks with us, Nathaniel Bald, C.S.C. and Nicholas Rocha, C.S.C. We are grateful for their time with us and continue to pray for their ministerial work.
February is a great month to see our Irish students in action! Show Choir, Theatre, Bowling, Swimming, Boys and Girls Hoops, Wrestling, and Speech/Debate are just some of the activities our students are engaged in, and they continue to be educated in their hearts and minds, in and out of the classroom. Come and support them if you can!
The Presidents' Day Holiday is February 17 this year, and that is MY birthday also! (President's Day, after all!). I am sure our students and educators will enjoy a little extra sleep that day!
In addition to an exciting month ahead, the enthusiasm for our new Principal, Mark Matthews, is palpable. He brings a unique blend of wisdom, experience, and faith to the position and is already leading our educators and students with these sublime qualities. One of his areas of expertise (besides Civil War historical anecdotes) is his ability to navigate the changing landscape regarding our state's graduation requirements. Stay tuned for more on this as it develops. Mark was also the primary driving force behind our J-Term program (which was another huge success this year), and we continue to refine that model for experiential learning for our students, again in and outside the classroom. In short, Mark is the optimal leader for our school at this time in history. Wisdom and faith never go out of style, and Mark has both qualities while being an innovative and creative educator.
Thank you for your prayers and support of our beloved Cathedral High School. We sincerely appreciate the prayers, and support of any kind is greatly appreciated. I hope to see you at any of our February events, and perhaps our auction on the 22nd. Until then, be well, may God be praised, and Go Irish!
St. Br. Andre and Bl. Basil Moreau, pray for us!
Rob Bridges, PhD
President
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Principal Matthews Awarded
Coveted Fellowship
Congratulations to Principal Mark Matthews on receiving his second Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship! His first was in 2012 when he was serving in Carmel Clay Schools. He spent the summer learning about and traveling the California Mission Trail and did a three-day silent retreat at a Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre.
With his latest Lilly Endowment Teacher Fellowship, Mr. Matthews has chosen the theme "Echoes of Valor: The 80th Anniversary of Victory in Europe." He will visit American cemeteries in England, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy to lay a floral wreath at each site to honor those Americans who fought in World War II to secure our freedoms. His journey will culminate with a marriage renewal retreat for him and his wife, Beth, on their 40th wedding anniversary.
Lilly Endowment Inc. was founded in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr for the "promotion and support of religious, educational or charitable purposes." Please click here to read more about this prestigious award and the official news release.
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Indianapolis Youth For Life Rally and Mass
Four Cathedral students, one representing each grade, were blessed to attend the Youth for Life Rally and Mass for Life at the Indiana Convention Center. Pictured in the front row are Educator Claire Kloska, Sophia Siepka '25, Grace Sheddy '26, Bishop Timothy Doherty of the Diocese of Lafayette, Karol Silva '27, and Tyra Ordones Hernanadez '28. In the back row are our Director of Campus Ministry Dave Neeson and our two Holy Cross novitiates Nicholas Rocha, C.S.C. and Nathaniel Bald, C.S.C.
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Bonhomme Qualifies for Prestigious Math Exam
Congratulations to Reece Bonhomme '25 on qualifying for the American Invitational Math Exam. Reece earned a qualifying score in the first round of the American Mathematics Competition series and now moves on to Round 2 on February 6. Good luck, Reece!
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Congratulations, Gold Key Art Winners
Congratulations to two of our very talented art students, Adam Nolan '28 and Quortny Holland '27 on winning a Gold Key Award in the Scholastic Arts and Writing Contest. As Gold Key winners, both photographs will move on to Nationals! The artists thank their educator, Joellen Desautels, for her support and encouragement.
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Distinguished Seniors
Sophia Beeson ‘25 and Veronica Rondinella ‘25 were recently named finalists for the Distinguished Young Women of Indiana Scholarship Program! These incredible young women were recognized for their academic success, leadership, and talents. Sophia and Veronica have already earned college scholarships and will participate in the state competition in February. Congratulations!
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DECA Dominates District - Advances to State
Congratulations to the Cathedral DECA Club on multiple victories at the District Competition. Of the 27 students who competed, 23 advanced to State. DECA competitions test students' business knowledge, skills, and creativity. State is March 2-4 in downtown Indianapolis. Go Irish!
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Cathedral Bowlers - Rolling to Semi-State
Congratulations to our boys bowling team on advancing to Semi-State! The competition is this weekend in Terre Haute, so please wish them luck! Three bowlers also advanced to Semi-State in the individual competition. Good luck to Declan Sweeney '26 (who is the Regional Champion), Sam Jones '28, and Grace Zuerner '27.
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Congratulations, City Champions!
Congratulations to both of our varsity basketball teams on winning the City Championship! The ladies defeated Chatard 48-45 on January 17. On January 27, the men beat Crispus Attucks 71-63 to win the City Championship.
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Camp Cathedral &
HSPT Academy
Camp Cathedral has a long and successful history of providing fun, safe, and innovative camps for young people in central Indiana. This summer will be no different as we provide a wide variety of camps, including STEM, creative writing, Minecraft, adventure camps, leadership, athletics, and more! Led by our awesome Director of Camps, Anthony Ernst, this summer promises to be another great one on the Hill! Camps are open for Kindergarten - 8th-grade students, and before and after-care are available. Camp season is June 2 - July 25. Click here and register today! Summer is calling! See you this summer on the Hill.
We encourage rising 8th-graders to register for the High School Placement Test Academy. The course includes two practice tests, three days of instruction from Cathedral's fantastic math and English teachers, and the HSPT practice book. Scores can be used for admission to Cathedral and/or Cathedral's merit scholarships.
Sign up today!
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Cathedral Specialty License Plate
Cathedral is applying for a specialty license plate. If approved, $25 from each plate would go to Cathedral for tuition assistance.
For the BMV to grant our request, we must submit a petition with at least 500 names. We almost made it to 500 last year, and feel confident we'll get all the names we need this time! Also, if you signed last year's petition, we kindly ask you to sign up again, please.
If you would like to commit to purchasing a Cathedral specialty plate if the request is approved, please click here and submit your name and address by Friday, March 21.
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Buy Your Raffle Ticket Today!
Fund-A-Need
We are revved up for our 48th annual ShamrAuction: It's Electrifying! The cash raffle is underway, and you could be the next $15,000 winner! Raffle tickets are $100 each. The Grand Prize will be drawn live at ShamrAuction on February 22. You do not need to be present to win. Entrants must be 18 or older to play. Please play responsibly. Click here to learn more and purchase your raffle ticket today!
*Grand prize payment based on a maximum of 900 tickets sold. All proceeds benefit the Cathedral Family of Funds. (License #003287)
This year's fund-a-need is an outdoor learning space that will further enrich Cathedral's mission. This space located next to Cunningham Fine Arts Building (pictured below) will allow students to connect with nature, enhancing focus, reducing stress, and fostering overall well-being, while also providing a place for spiritual reflection amidst the beauty of God's creation. Please click here to learn more and donate today!
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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.
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Coming Up on the Hill
February 5 - Mass - Bishop Timothy Doherty (Lafayette Diocese) - 10:15 a.m.
February 17 - Presidents' Day - No School
February 21 - ShamrAuction Set-Up - E-Learning Day
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