Appeal strengthens Catholic schools and catechetical programs

Jacque Singleton teaches a class of first-grade students on Dec. 8, 2010, at St. Anthony School in Clarksville. The “United Catholic Appeal: Christ Our Hope” helps support the ministry of the archdiocese’s Office of Catholic Education, which helps Catholic schools across central and southern Indiana provide a high quality education to their students. (Submitted photo)

By Sean Gallagher

Many parents across central and southern Indiana are convinced that Catholic schools give their children a distinctive advantage in life.

They often gain that assurance through the solid foundation in faith given to their children there, seeing them grow in knowledge and virtues over the years or reviewing the consistently high test scores and graduation rates of Catholic schools.

The administrators and teachers who teach and guide those children day by day have a lot to do with their success. But ask those school leaders where they get the support they need to create an atmosphere of excellence, and they will often point to the staff members of the archdiocese’s Office of Catholic Education (OCE).

“By those people giving us the expertise that they have, it helps us to improve our performance here in the local schools and allows them to be the very best schools that they can be,” said Sheila Noon, principal of St. Anthony School in Clarksville.

Through their participation in the “United Catholic Appeal: Christ Our Hope,” Catholics across central and southern Indiana support the ministry of the Office of Catholic Education staff members who work hard to make parish schools and faith formation programs as good as they can be. (Related: Annual appeal again supports many local ministries across archdiocese)

Noon especially appreciates that two of the staff members she and her teachers work with—Rob Rash and Gina Fleming—served as Catholic school principals before joining OCE.

“They can go back to some of their experiences and give us [their perspective],” Noon said. “Sometimes we’re blinded by an issue, and they can give new insight into a situation that we don’t see.”

She also values OCE’s use of the Internet that allows her and her teachers to take advantage of the training that the office staff offers them while staying in their New Albany Deanery school.

OCE webinars—interactive seminars held online—help Catholic school administrators and teachers grow in various skills, including developing an effective curriculum and using student performance data to improve teaching strategies.

“Today, we have one scheduled at 1 [p.m.],” said Noon. “Well, I can pop in at 1 [p.m.], and be done by 1:30 [p.m.] or 2 [p.m.]. I don’t have to spend two hours driving [to Indianapolis] and two hours coming home. You’d be away from the building, and our job needs us to be here where we’re at.

“It’s so helpful to us because they give us an agenda, and give us an opportunity to talk to other teachers and principals if we need their help.”

Rash, OCE’s assistant superintendent of schools for personnel and licensure, has lots of knowledge about various ways to help run a school well. But he mainly sees his work as a form of service.

“My goal is to support and assist school administrators,” he said. “They know they can call anytime or any day. Problems have a way of extending beyond the school day.”

Although his job can be demanding both in his frequent travels across the archdiocese to visit schools and in his availability, Rash finds great joy in it.

“Being in a school with a group of teachers and staff all dedicated to children is a wonderful privilege,” he said. “I enjoy … celebrating professional victories with them. It is very rewarding to work with a principal dealing with the often difficult situations their job sometimes require.”

Parish administrators of religious education also have challenging jobs. They often have to juggle leading religious education programs for children ages 3 through 18, recruit and train volunteer catechists, develop adult faith formation sessions and lead their parish’s Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.

Paulette Davis, administrator of religious education at St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Greencastle, said that parish catechetical leaders “are so used to always having to be present and to look to the needs of their students, their catechists, that sometimes your own needs don’t get met.”

That is why she appreciates the ministry of Ken Ogorek, archdiocesan director of catechesis. While he is often in contact with parish administrators of religious education on the phone and by e-mail, Ogorek likes traveling to parishes across central and southern Indiana.

“While technology helps a lot with communication, there’s nothing quite like meeting face to face with catechetical leaders throughout the archdiocese,” Ogorek said. “These travels keep me mindful of the various needs experienced by those who teach the faith in southern and central Indiana. When it comes to some aspects of serving our catechetical leaders, one size does not fit all.”

Davis knows from experience that the assistance which she receives in her ministry from OCE staff members like Ogorek ultimately helps her form the faith of the children, teenagers and adults in her parish more effectively.

“We’re able to carry out the information that they share with us and share it with our catechists,” she said. “And then they bring it into the classroom. We’re able to bring it into the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults—many facets. By them doing that, it’s a great support.”

Whether it’s in a school classroom or in a parish religious education program, “United Catholic Appeal: Christ Our Hope” helps strengthen the faith of people of all ages across central and southern Indiana.

For her part, Noon appreciates the support that she and her teachers receive through the appeal from archdiocesan Catholics.

“I think most of the Catholic people in our parishes have had children or grandchildren, and realize the very valuable education that our kids are getting in Catholic schools,” Noon said. “And they realize that it’s a very costly thing. And even if it’s not the financial support that they give to us, it’s the spiritual support. It’s the prayers and the fact that they’re there, and care for us and help us out.”
 

(For more information about “United Catholic Appeal: Christ Our Hope,” log on to www.archindy.org/uca.) †