ALUMNI ProfileS By Peyton Golowski ’19 Life contains a lot of uncertainty and people have seen that over the course of the past year. People learned to adapt to change and tried not to lose their faith and trust in God. In helping to see that faith, we turned to what was most certain: The educators and religious life found within the Catholic school system. Delone Catholic High School sits amongst surrounding partner schools and local parishes that form the community in which our faith thrives. We met with Mrs. Crystal (Bowman) Noel ’94, P’20, P’24, P’24 then-principal of St. Teresa of Calcutta McSherrystown Campus, to ask why she views Catholic education as so important during these unprecedented times. “Through the gospel, the teachings of our Catholic faith and our model of service in St. Teresa of Calcutta, we want our students to know God’s love and share it with others,” Noel said. Simply, we imitate God’s love by seeing it acted and envisioned by others. Noel mentioned how the educators learn from the children just as much as the children learn from them. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (18:16). Having God be at the center of this relationship allows for a solid foundation of trust and spiritual growth to happen in a positive learning environment. Noel is not the only Delone Catholic alum who is inspired to create a learning environment that allows faith to grow Across town, Mr. David Staub ’94, P’25, is the newly appointed principal at St. Joseph School and former math teacher at Delone Catholic High School. He not only has been involved in Catholic education himself, but is sending his children through the same school system where they are encouraged to become involved
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THE SQUIRE | FALL 2021
Local DCHS Are Leading the Next Generation
in their faith. “The foundation of all we do will be rooted in God’s teachings and guide us daily,” said Staub. “Catholic schools provide the opportunity for children to strengthen their faith and provide opportunities to cultivate their relationship with God.” Staub believes all the opportunities can only take place in a Catholic school providing tremendous opportunities for children to grow spiritually. St. Joseph’s core teachings are enriched by faith, discipline, and education. Staub explained that these qualities can only come to fruition within a Catholic school system based on the teachings of Christ. Both principals expressed that the best way to exude the way of God through Catholic education can be found in the individual child. Each person has his or her own way of learning and adapting to new challenges. There is no better way of doing things such as this than in the Catholic school system. Staub plans to aid his teachers by “expanding their [the teachers’] toolbox for classroom instruction.” A key element in aiding this endeavor is making sure that the educators of the surrounding schools are well-prepared. Mrs. Rebecca (Long) Sieg ’92, P’20, P’25, the principal of Saint Francis Xavier Catholic School, explained that the best way to ensure a child has a strong religious education is through the faculty’s willingness to face new and upcoming challenges that can arrive at any time. “We are a team and our focus will always be to partner with the parents in educating their children and doing the best we can for the children entrusted in our care each and every day,” Sieg said. Diving deeper into what makes Catholic education truly the best fit for any student, we look at the foundation of God’s teaching: The Catholic Church. In addition to local principals, Delone Catholic is blessed to boast alumni in the priesthood and permanent diaconate.
Those men gave insight into how to keep our Catholic schools up to the standard of Catholic teaching. Rev. Dwight Schlaline ’00 of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Hanover took into consideration how to seek true happiness with our faith: “Our educational goals should revolve around our relationship with God. When God is truly at the center instead of mere self-interest, people find the happiness they didn’t know they were seeking.” In other words, we tend to be blinded by unnecessary things that ultimately distract us from finding happiness in God and his way of teaching. A vital way in becoming closer to Christ can be found in the way we interact with others. Rev. Anthony Miller ’71 of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Church in Littlestown enlightened the mindset for those who struggle in coming to terms with how one can grow with God. After he visited with his First Friday Communion volunteers, Fr. Miller took some time to talk about what makes the Catholic Church so strong and planted in faith. “It is all about connections outside of the church that make the community so special,” Miller said. Being called to the priesthood at such a young age – having first thought about it around second grade – Miller has seen firsthand accounts of how faith can bring people together. He continues to believe that, “with no relationship with others in Christ, there is no model to follow on how to live out one’s faith.” The Catholic faith community is a blessing made by connections with other people. Interacting with others in our schools and parishes can only make our faith grow stronger with Christ and his teachings.
Three principals and two priests, all alumni of Delone Catholic, are inspiring the next generation to “Be Doers of the Word” through Catholic education.
