Highlights Magazine (Winter 2022)

C AT H E D R AL HIGHLIGHTS FALL / WINTER 2022 Immaculée Ilibagiza Visits Cathedral Cathedral Inducts Fourth Circle of Excellence Class Denise Farrell, Hon.’08 – Bishop Chartrand Recipient

CATHEDRAL NAMED NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL – FOURTH TIME

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VOL UME 53 I S S UE 2

A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR

Here at Cathedral, we have so much to be thankful for, and we are especially grateful for you and the many ways your family contributes to the Cathedral High School community.

We appreciate all you do to support our students. I can assure you there is ceaseless motion on the Hill as our students are busy participating in their academic, artistic, athletic, and spiritual pursuits.

In November, Cathedral hosted Immaculée Ilibagiza as our guest speaker for the Forever Irish Ladies Brunch and an all-school assembly (see more on pages 20-21).

Immaculée’s message of love, forgiveness, and trust in God, along with her devotion to our Mother Mary and dedication to prayer, was truly inspiring. She is the most devout person I have ever met, and I believe she is a living saint.

Even though the past two years have been spent navigating the pandemic, Cathedral found ways to grow and thrive in that environment. We have seized upon that momentum and have been actively planning to elevate the quality of our entire school to become stronger over the next decade.

The Board of Trustees is entrusted with setting and sustaining the mission and vision. We not only affirm the mission, but we love it! We are dedicated fully to the work required to make it a genuinely experienced reality through the carefully selected educators who join us in this work and for the intentionally designed curricular experience.

As part of our responsibility for articulating and maintaining this dynamic mission and achieving the institutional goals set forth, the Board contributes three crucial leadership elements: •

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Vision: Defining measurable and meaningful goals for the Board and administration to provide clear direction and expectations

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Viability: Ensuring necessary resources are available through disciplined planning, wise stewardship, and philanthropic engagement

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Visibility: Serving as ambassadors for the school throughout our region, expanding our reputation and network of influence

With God’s grace, our school has experienced consistent and purposeful growth over the last few years. Dr. Rob Bridges and his leadership team have been intentional in designing and growing a mission-driven organization that produces an engaged learning community that more and more people want to join.

Cathedral is multifaceted—connecting educators from different backgrounds and experiences and bringing them together in a unified mission and culture. Cathedral’s administration, teachers, and staff are our biggest strengths because they are so dedicated to their craft.

Our commitment to sustainable excellence has never been stronger. It is reflected in our strategic plan objectives that focus on the following core areas: academics, the arts, athletics, student life, Holy Cross formation, inclusivity and diversity, professional development and growth for our educators and staff, facilities, technology, advancement, enrollment, and financial health.

Thank you for your dedication to this community of educators who are dedicated to your family and working hard to provide the best possible learning experiences. Your faithful engagement makes a difference in the lives of so many and we are grateful for the opportunity to walk this journey together.

Sincerely yours,

Victoria Schneider ’88 Temple Board Chair

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CATHEDRAL TRUSTEES BOARD OF DIRECTORS Incorporated 1972

OFFICERS

06 Cathedral Receives Fourth National Blue Ribbon Award 08 Claire Hunter ’20 Interns for Parliament 09 Aaron Green ’09 Launches Struggle University at Cathedral 10 Jay Michael Smith ’62 Establishes Endowed Tuition Fund 13 Denise Farrell, Hon.’08 Receives Bishop Chartrand Award 20 Immaculée Ilibagiza Visits Cathedral 27 Coach Rhonda Low - Still Serving the Sport She Loves

Victoria Schneider ’88 Temple – Chair Kevin Alerding ’88 – Vice Chair Pete Ugo - Treasurer

MEMBERS

Rev. Eric Augenstein ‘96 Very Rev. Patrick Beidelman ’90 Kimberly Williams ’90 Blanchet Christian Browning ’93 Tory Callaghan ’88 Castor Regina Cross ’98 J. Michael Cunningham R. Nicholas Dellen ’99 Mike Farrell ’00 Gregg Gallant Michael Hannigan, Jr. Ryan Hasbrook ’92 Angela Smith Jones Colonel (Ret) David Kasberg ’82 Jack Lashenik Jason Konesco ’90 Kyle McGrath ’01 Dr. Catherine Bradshaw ’87 Michael Kathryn Martin ’83 O’Neil Joe Pettygrove ’98 Br. Roy Smith ’61 Charles Sukurs Matt Will, PhD

MEMBERS EMERITUS

IN EVERY ISSUE

02 Board Chair’s Message 04 President’s Message 05 Principal’s Message 22 Sports Wraps 28 Class Notes 33 In Memoriam

R. James Alerding ‘63 John L. Davis ‘66 Joseph M. Dezelan ‘62 Daniel O’Malia ‘65 Richard Pfleger ‘73 As of December 2022

Photography provided by: Tyler McClure ‘08 Lacey Nix (Oh Snap Indy) Isaac Taylor Fall/Winter 2022 Cathedral Highlights is published two times annually by Cathedral High School for alumni, parents, and friends.

The publication address is: Cathedral High School 5225 E. 56th Street Indianapolis, IN 46226 Phone number: 317.542.1481 Please send news to: Cathedral Highlights ℅ Cathedral High School 5225 E. 56th Street Indianapolis, IN 46226

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A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Helping students discover and courageously use their talents is core to our mission at Cathedral.

Matthew 25:14-30 records Jesus telling the parable about a master of three servants who planned to leave on a journey for an extended period. He gave each of them an assignment of investing a certain amount of his money so that he will receive a significant return on investment (ROI) when he gets back.

This parable reminds us to examine how we use the life God has given us. We are blessed with time, resources, and talents to invest and the results we produce are critical. We are stewards who are responsible for our decisions. The servant who received one talent wasn’t condemned for failing to reach his assigned goal–it was because he did nothing with what he was given.

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As we begin 2023, it’s useful to reflect on the journey of this academic year and remember the moments of growth, the lessons learned, and the joy we shared together. Most notably we have: • Received our fourth National Blue Ribbon Award • Brought back full theatre productions, including a fall and a spring musical • Added an overnight Holy Cross Junior Pilgrimage for the junior class What would you add to this list? How has your family been blessed through the school this year? Would you consider writing a brief email response that answers these two questions?

Of all these blessings, one of the gifts we value the most is our relationship with you. We’ve grown up together in so many ways, and yet we know God has so much more in store for this next year.

One option for us is to play it safe and do nothing in order to avoid making a mistake. But the option we’ve chosen at Cathedral is to invest wisely in a manner that has an incredible upside. We recognize our responsibility as school leaders is to create a positive ROI on your investment of tuition, donations, and time.

Thank you for being such a blessing through your faithfulness and friendship.

Giving your family the gift of a great Catholic education is a life-changing return. Your child is known and loved here by design. We are intentional about hiring highly qualified educators who love their students even more than they love their curriculum. Every day we strive to ensure a reliably excellent experience for you, adjusting as a learning organization, enabling us to grow together.

Robert Bridges, PhD President

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Gratefully yours,

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare, not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

-Jeremiah 29:11 At Cathedral, we say, “Greatness is Calling,” and we know God is calling all our students to use their gifts to serve one another and improve their communities. It is a blessing to witness how our gifted educators motivate our students to answer the call to greatness and grow stronger in their faith.

young people throughout Central Indiana. Registration for the 2023 summer camp season opens in February, so be sure to check campcathedral.com soon. Camps fill up very quickly!

In August, we welcomed 1,133 students to our school for the 2022-23 school year, including 293 members of the Class of 2026. These students come to us from 76 elementary schools to form one awesome Irish family.

We have much to look forward to during the spring semester, including J-Term, the opening of our Johnny Mac Coffeehouse, continued growth of our C.O.R.E. leadership program, and of course, graduation for the remarkable Class of 2023.

Our We C You postcards, which we created this year, allow us to recognize our fellow Cathedral family members for their contributions and acts of kindness on the Hill. The cards resulted from the Holy Cross value of the year, Inclusiveness and Diversity, which was selected by the Class of 2023. These cards have been extremely well received by educators and students and help affirm how we live out our Holy Cross values each day on the Hill.

The fall semester was preceded by a record-breaking season for Camp Cathedral! Special thanks to Cathedral Summer Camp Director Anthony Ernst for his tireless work in providing engaging and fun experiences for

We celebrated incredible accomplishments in the fall of 2022, including breaking the record for money raised during our Ignite the Irish fundraiser as well as the number of eighth graders who applied for early admission to Cathedral. And we’ve had countless wins each and every day in our classrooms. We are blessed!

We have much to be grateful for, and we know we could not have accomplished any of it without you.

Thank you for your continued support and encouragement. Please continue to keep dear old Cathedral in your prayers.

God bless and Go Irish!

Julie Barthel Principal

CATHEDRAL HIGHLIGHTS MAGAZINE A publication for alumni, parents, and friends.

PRESIDENT Robert Bridges, PhD

C H I E F O P E R AT I N G OFFICE R Rolly Landeros

For change of address: Please contact Jean Smith ‘97 at 317.968.7333 or jesmith@gocathedral.com.

P R I N C I PA L Julie Barthel

D I R E C T O R O F A DMIS S ION S Anna Taul

V I C E P R I N C I PA L F O R A C A D E MI C S Mark Matthews

D I R E C T O R O F M A RKE T IN G Grace Trahan-Rodecap

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Colleen O’Brien-Teasley

E X E C U T I V E V I C E P RE S ID E N T F O R A D VA N C E M E N T Nicole Farrell ’98 Beasley

Have a story idea?

Contact Grace Trahan-Rodecap at 317.968.7352 or grodecap@gocathedral.com.

On the cover: National Director of Blue Ribbon Schools Aba Kumi presents the National Blue Ribbon Award to Vice Principal for Academics Mark Matthews, Co-STEM Director Aarti Brooks, PhD, and President Rob Bridges, PhD. Cathedral received three tickets to the presentation, so Principal FALL/WINTER 2022 CATHEDRAL HIGHLIGHTS Barthel gave her ticket to Mr. Matthews as a thank you for all of his hard work on our application.

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CATHEDRAL NAMED NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL Fourth Time in Cathedral’s History For the fourth time in her history, Cathedral has been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School.

The recognition from the United States Department of Education is based on Cathedral’s overall academic performance. Cathedral is the only private high school in Indiana to be recognized this year, and one of only two Catholic high schools in the country to receive the award. Cathedral was also the only school at this year’s award ceremony to be a four-time recipient of this prestigious honor.

“As our country continues to recover from the pandemic, we know that our future will only be as strong as the education we provide to all our children,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “Blue Ribbon Schools have gone above and beyond to keep students healthy and safe while meeting their academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. These schools show what is possible to make an enduring, positive difference in students’ lives.”

Cathedral’s application detailed all the ways students were served during COVID. As many of our families can attest, we were open for in-person instruction while most schools in the Indianapolis area were closed. Cathedral continued to fulfill her mission of transforming hearts and minds and building relationships during the most 6

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challenging of times. While President Rob Bridges, PhD, Principal Julie Barthel, Vice President for Academics Mark Matthews, and Co-STEM Director Aarti Brooks, PhD traveled to Washington D.C. to receive the award, this honor belongs to the entire school. All educators played a huge role in educating and inspiring our students and all deserve congratulations for this tremendous honor.

The Department of Education recognizes all schools in one of the following two performance categories, based on all student scores, subgroup student scores, and graduation rates: •

Exemplary High-Performing Schools are among their state’s highest-performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests. Cathedral is recognized as an Exemplary High-Performing School.

•

Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools are among their state’s highest-performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.

Schools are eligible for nomination six years after their previous recognition. Cathedral has been named a National Blue Ribbon School each time it has been nominated, in 1988, 2004, 2016, and 2022.

ADMISSION UPDATE - WELCOME CLASS OF 2026!

The Class of 2026 has 293 students who come to Cathedral from 76 different grade schools. Cathedral’s entire student body of 1,133 represents more than 150 different grade schools. Go Irish!

What do students love about their National Blue Ribbon School?

A ND RE A ALUAIZ A ’26 “My experience at Cathedral has been great. Cathedral teaches me and improves me. I love Cathedral and feel so honored to get to spend my days learning with educators who care and see their students.

All glory be to God!”

A LE X AN D E R B AT T ’26

LONDON MURRAY ’2 6

“The Cathedral community is very welcoming, and I am sure anyone could find lots of sports or clubs to fit in. In addition, the courses I have been taking have been challenging in a good way.

I joined our band, which has been an amazing experience, meeting many new people during band camp as well as our band director, Kathy McCullough.”

“My experience at Cathedral has been amazing. I have met so many new people from my volleyball team and just in the classroom. I have also met several people in BSU (Black Student Union) and many other students from being involved in other school organizations. I am definitely glad I chose Cathedral.”

T HE HIGH SCH O O L SELECTI O N PRO CESS is excellent preparation for the experience of choosing a college. The sooner students begin learning about their school options, the more opportunities they will have to experience campuses and find the right fit.

As early as kindergarten, students can attend Camp Cathedral on the Cathedral High School campus. It’s a wonderful opportunity to get to the know the school and meet great educators and coaches. Visit CampCathedral.com in February for a list of summer camps for summer of 2023.

Also, in elementary and middle school, consider attending school events to learn about the culture and traditions of the school. This can include theatre, choir, orchestra, band, and sports.

Join the mailing and email lists of schools your family is interested in by contacting the admissions office. This will ensure you receive invitations to events and important information about the school.

Cathedral’s admissions office can be reached at admissions@gocathedral.com or 317.968.7309.

Some students can’t wait to become part of a National Blue Ribbon School! Admitted students receive a golden envelope that contains their acceptance letter. Caroline Ford ’35 received her Class of 2035 shirt in her golden envelope. Looking good, Caroline!

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ALUMNA ANSWERS CALL TO GREATNESS: Claire Hunter ’20 Interns for Parliament Do you remember where you were when you learned Queen Elizabeth II died?

Claire Hunter ’20 just happened to be in London. She was also in London when Prime Minister Liz Truss was elected and when she resigned and made history by becoming Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister.

Claire has been able to experience history in the making as an Institute for Leadership Studies Parliamentary Internship Fellow for the 2022-23 academic year.

“There has been something new happening every day, and the mere fact that I am there in the heart of it all is so thrilling,” says Claire. “I am working for Alex Norris, the Labor Member of Parliament for Nottingham North, and his staff. My usual workday consists of drafting standards to respond to constituents’ correspondences and other projects needed that day, such as newsletters or news articles.”

And Claire says she is excited to go to work every day.

“Each day, I feel eager and ready to tackle whatever task I have set for me that day. It’s surreal to think I am working in Parliament during a pivotal time in UK politics.”

Claire is a student at Loyola Marymount majoring in international relations and double minoring in global economics and journalism.

“Before the internship, I was unsure where I wanted to take my major,” Claire says. “But the hands-on experience I’ve gained from this internship so far has made me consider a career in politics and policy more seriously.”

While Claire may not be living in Buckingham Palace, her living quarters are far from your typical college residence hall. She is living in Highgate, a suburban village in north London. The area is quaint and lush, with many green spaces scattered throughout the region.

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“There’s a lot of beautiful 18th-century architecture mixed with local cafés and pubs,” says Claire. “Because the area is situated on top of a steep hill, you get a beautiful view of London at night. My accommodation is nestled in one of the neighborhoods, and I share it with other American students from various universities.”

Claire is thoroughly enjoying her time in London and is grateful for the support she’s received from her Cathedral teachers.

“I think that my Cathedral education has made me a more dynamic student, especially regarding my writing.

Whether it be in my college classes or the office, I notice I still use skills and techniques I picked up from my AP Language and Composition or AP Literature classes.”

She has also relied heavily on her knowledge from her humanities classes in high school, especially history.

“A lot of what I learned from my freshman year world history classes still helps me contextualize political theories that I debate and discuss in my lectures. The support I received from my high school teachers really pushed me to make the most of my college experience.”

Claire specifically credits support from educators Craig Blanchette, Anthony Ernst, and Mark Matthews.

“Each of them showed me incredible support throughout my academic career at Cathedral. All three were extremely captivating while teaching and provided me with further knowledge outside the classroom. Even after I have graduated, they continue to root me on in my college adventures.”

The entire Cathedral family is cheering for Claire!

We are incredibly proud of her and excited to see where greatness calls her next!

AARON GREEN ’09 LAUNCHES STRUGGLE UNIVERSITY AT CATHEDRAL HIGH SCHOOL Aaron Green ‘09 will be the first to tell you that struggle made him who he is today.

“When I was 17, a 17-year-old murdered my father,” says Aaron. “When I was in college, someone murdered one of my best friends the day before I came home for spring break. I was raised in impoverished neighborhoods in an often-traumatic environment.”

Aaron’s life journey could have taken him down a negative path, but he stayed the course, and graduated from the University of Alabama-Birmingham with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications/Media Studies, becoming the first in his family to earn a fouryear degree. He’s now the CEO of Struggle Made Us LLC, a community outreach program that focuses on motivating young people. He also has his own clothing line, Struggle Made Me. It was Aaron’s grandmother, Nikki Myers, who helped him stay focused on his goals.

“My grandmother, Nikki Myers, created yoga for 12-step recovery from her battle with addiction. She inspired me to use my trauma to help others.”

Earlier this academic year, Aaron was asked to speak to a Cathedral student going through a challenging time.

While on campus, Aaron met with Vice Principal for Student Conduct Kathy Saum.

“Mrs. Saum saw the value in my outreach and made Struggle University happen. Cathedral’s social worker, Aly Weaver, also saw the value in the program and helped put it together at Cathedral.”

After October’s graduation ceremony, one of the graduates said, “This can change the world. I felt like I was safe to say how I feel.” This is a beautiful testimony to Aaron’s work.

“We will continue to check in with the most recent graduates and offer other opportunities for them,” says Aaron. “We’re also working on the next cohort.”

In addition, Struggle University is starting a program for young ladies that Aaron’s wife will be facilitating.

“My father was murdered while I was attending Cathedral. Struggle University is a direct correlation of me becoming who I needed at that moment.”

We are so proud of the work that Aaron is doing in our community. If you’d like to learn more about Aaron’s program, please visit his website by scanning the QR code below.

Cathedral school counselors identified six young men who could benefit from the program. Aaron and the students spent the first three weeks identifying trauma, and the next three weeks discussing how to heal, cope, and move forward.

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ALUMNA ANSWERS CALL TO GREATNESS:

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LIFELONG CONNECTIONS ALIVE AND WELL Cathedral High School Alumni Association Board Update The Cathedral High School Alumni Association Board (CHSAAB), under the leadership of the Executive Committee, empowers volunteers to strengthen the Cathedral community.

The role of the Board for years has been to build relationships with alumni, faculty, and students and encourage involvement from career mentoring to volunteering time at alumni sponsored events.

This year’s Alumni Association Board consists of nine volunteer members, with approximately two to four new members joining each year. Members are nominated and typically serve a two-year term, which begins on September 1, with a mutual option for a second term with nominating committee approval. The executive committee includes a president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. Board composition ideally reflects the diversity of alumni with respect to ethnicity, age, gender, interests, and careers.

The Alumni Association Board is focused on advancing the following objectives: • Serve as the voice of alumni both with CHS educators and CHS student body • Promote Cathedral’s mission and opportunities to connect with the community • Build and develop alumni volunteer pipeline • Recognize alumni achievements and alumni service to deepen the engagement of these leaders with Cathedral

Mr. Smith went on to graduate from Ball State University and succeed in the banking and insurance industries. At one point in his career, he also worked for the Morehouse College Medical School Administration, helping develop the infrastructure for the medical school. He chronicles his life in his book, “Adventures of an Inner-City Kid.” Throughout his journey, Mr. Smith says he was blessed by the lifelong connections of his Cathedral family, and he says he made a commitment to give back to the school that helped form his foundation.

“Cathedral taught me the value of participation and helping others. You have to share what you’ve received.”

Mr. Smith and his wife, Dr. Lucia Spears-Smith, have established the Jay Michael Smith ’62 and Family Endowed Fund for Tuition Assistance. Each year, one student will be selected to receive a partial tuition assistance grant through their matriculation at Cathedral. Recipients will be chosen from a pool of incoming freshmen applicants. Primary consideration will be given to an African-American student enrolling from a Catholic ACE Academy school.

And even though Mr. Smith and his wife have lived in Phoenix, Arizona for seven years, they remain committed to giving back to dear old Cathedral.

“There are so many Cathedral graduates who helped me,” says Mr. Smith. “When you’ve been blessed, you can’t be selfish.”

Interested in learning more about the Cathedral Alumni Association Board?

Contact Brittany Hizer ‘00 at brhizer@gmail.com or 312.636.3202.

Please scan the QR code to read more about the Cathedral Alumni Association and meet the current Board.

Jay Michael Smith ’62 Establishes Endowed Tuition Fund Jay Michael Smith ’62 understands the joy of giving because he learned early in his life the joy of receiving. Thanks to the kindness of others, Mr. Smith received a full, four-year scholarship to attend Cathedral High School. As a young black student who lived in the inner-city with his great-aunt, the scholarship was the only way he could attend Cathedral. And after attending St. Bridget’s Catholic Elementary School, he appreciated all the benefits of receiving a Catholic education.

“I respected the Brothers of Holy Cross,” says Mr. Smith. “They delivered the instruction and discipline I needed to succeed as a young African-American male growing up in the inner city.”

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Jay Smith’s daughters, Sonya Broadnax (left) and Joy Mason (right), congratulate Najee Faye ’26 on being a beneficiary of the Jay Michael Smith ’62 and Family Endowed Tuition Fund.

If you’re interested in establishing a fund, please contact Cathedral’s Senior Director of Philanthropy, Abbe Ernstes, at aernstes@gocathedral.com or 317-968-7348.

Please scan the QR code for a complete list of Endowed Funds at Cathedral.

HOLY CROSS UPDATES Cathedral Says Goodbye to Father Emmanuel, Hello to Father Jomy

Holy Cross Award Winners Congratulations to these outstanding students for earning a Holy Cross Award! Educators nominate students for the Saint Brother André Bessette Award or the Blessed Father Basil Moreau Award.

The Saint Brother André Bessette Award is given to students who provide generous service to others, involve themselves in student activities, and demonstrate Christian values.

The Saint Brother André Bessette winners are pictured above from left to right: Gabe Bragg ‘23, Aubrie Wright ‘24, Anna Elpers ‘23, Mary Murphy ‘25, Willo McClain ‘25, Caleb Neal ‘26, Ethan Trobridge ‘24. Not pictured: Sam Funk ‘26.

The Blessed Father Basil Moreau Award is given to students who demonstrate leadership, excel in the classroom, and provide service to the Cathedral family and to their community.

We are so fortunate that Father Jomy, pictured left, was able to shadow Father Emmanuel for several weeks before Father Emmanuel left for Rome.

We have been blessed to have Father Emmanuel Ballackaral, C.S.C. at Cathedral High School. In addition to serving as Chaplain for 13 months, Father Emmanuel has led mass at several nearby parishes, including St. Joan of Arc and St. Simon.

Blessed Father Basil Moreau Award winners are pictured above in the second row, from left to right: Sincere Germany ‘23, Zach Meeks ‘24, Grace Sheddy ‘26, Maddie Kantner ‘25, Megan Hoppes ‘23, Alex Lozano ‘24, Sophia Beeson ‘25. Not pictured: Michael Pugh ‘26.

This summer, the Congregation of Holy Cross announced Father Emmanuel had been elected Second in Command for the Congregation. He left the U.S. in November and is now working in Rome.

Father Emmanuel promised he wouldn’t leave Cathedral before his replacement arrived. It is no surprise Father Emmanuel is a man of his word. Father Jomy Mathew, C.S.C. arrived at Cathedral in October and was able to shadow Father Emmanuel for a month. Father Jomy, a native of India, immediately took a liking to American football and is already feeling at home. We are blessed to have a Holy Cross priest as Chaplain at Cathedral High School.

“While we prepare useful citizens for society, we shall likewise do our utmost to prepare citizens for heaven.” - Blessed Basil Moreau, C.S.C., Founder,

Congregation of Holy Cross

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CELEBRATING OUR HOLY CROSS VALUE OF EXCELLENCE Cathedral Raises More Than $1.1 Million During Evening of Excellence, Inducts Fourth Circle of Excellence Class Congratulations to our 2022 Circle of Excellence inductees who were honored during the Evening of Excellence. We congratulate Ken Barlow ‘82, Rick Streiff, Dave Worland, Scott Taylor ‘90, K. Tamika Johnson ‘96, Bill McGowan ‘53, Cecilia M. Mimms ‘77, Paul Farrell ‘51 (accepted by Shannon Farrell ‘80 Fox), Cathy Cassell, Michael Duffecy ‘22/Francis Frey ‘21 (accepted by Pride of the Irish Drum Majors Antonio Arroyo ‘23 and Olivia Griffith ‘23), Jo Cavanaugh, Hon. ‘19, and Jim Alerding ‘63.

Thank you all for your contributions to Cathedral!

Nominations for the 2023 Class of Cathedral Circle of Excellence honorees are due by 11:59 p.m. on April 1, 2023. Find out more about the process and nominate someone today at www.gocathedral.com/about/circle-of-excellence/nominate.

Current students presented each inductee with their award. Lillian Valentine ’26, Charlie Valentine ’23, and Ryan Helmen ’26 presented the Circle of Excellence medal to their grandfather, Jim Alerding ’63.

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Please scan the QR code to learn more about our Circle of Excellence inductees.

During this lovely evening, Cathedral raised $1,168,395! Thank you to our generous donors for blessing our Cathedral students.

DENISE FARRELL , HON. ’08 RECEIVES BISHOP CHARTRAND AWARD During the Evening of Excellence, Denise Farrell, Hon.’08 received the Bishop Chartrand Award, which is the highest award given by Cathedral High School.

Cathedral High School has been part of Denise Farrell’s life for more than four decades. From 1979 to 2008, she served as Cathedral’s librarian, teacher, guidance counselor, director of athletics, vice principal, and girls’ volleyball coach. She just about did it all. And Denise continues to assist the Advancement Department and proctor AP testing. Her family says her priorities are clear: faith first, family second, and then, of course, Cathedral.

Denise’s list of accomplishments is long and impressive. She was inducted into the Indiana High School Volleyball Hall of Fame in 1997, was the 1988 Marion County Coaches of Girls Sports Association City Coach of the Year, 1989 Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association District Three Coach of the Year, and 1989 Indianapolis Star Metro Volleyball Coach of the Year. Denise is a 2008 Honorary graduate of Cathedral and served as Cathedral’s Centennial Celebration Committee co-chair from 2014 to 2018. She served on Cathedral's Board of Trustees from 2010 to 2022. And Denise also sings in the choir at her church, Holy Spirit at Geist.

Her children, Nicole Farrell ’98 Beasley and Michael Farrell ’00, are Cathedral graduates. She has three grandchildren who are current Cathedral students, Braden Beasley ’23, Abby Beasley ’25, and Noah Beasley ’26. In addition, she has two grandchildren who are future Cathedral students, Claire Farrell ’29 and Katherine Farrell ’34.

Thank you for your many contributions to our beloved school, Denise Farrell! You are a blessing to dear old Cathedral.

IGNITE THE IRISH STUDENT FUNDRAISER Cathedral students raised an astounding $300,040 in the Ignite the Irish student fundraiser. The money raised will go toward tuition assistance.

Students were also able to donate a portion of their funds to their favorite club or activity. Way to go, Irish!

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FA LL M U S I C A L

WILLY WONKA

FA LL PL AY

PUFFS, OR SEVEN INCREASINGLY EVENTFUL YEARS AT A CERTAIN SCHOOL OF MAGIC AND MAGIC

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EDUC ATO RS INSP IRIN G GRE AT N E SS Gary Spurgin Receives World Language Service and Leadership Award Congratulations to educator Gary Spurgin on receiving the 2022 IFLTA Mary Carr Distinguished World Language Service and Leadership Award. IFLTA is the Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association. Mr. Spurgin is being honored for his substantial contributions to the world language field that serves as a reference to new and future teachers in our state. Mr. Spurgin is an IFLTA past president, former Central States Conference Board member, and an instrumental leader in the American Association of Teachers of French-Indiana. Mr. Spurgin has been a much beloved French teacher at Cathedral since 1981. Greatness called, and Gary Spurgin answers every day on the Hill!

Kathy Pivonka, Cathedral’s College and Career Coordinator, Providing Exceptional Service to Cathedral Seniors Kathy Pivonka has invited students to visit with more than 90 college admissions representatives in Cathedral’s new College and Career Center this academic year. In addition, she’s held meetings during lunch, at night, and on Sundays to help seniors prepare their college applications. Thank you, Ms. Pivonka, for ensuring our students get personalized attention throughout the college application process. You are a blessing to countless Cathedral families.

Steve Goodman Receives Teacher of the Year Award Congratulations to Cathedral orchestra and jazz band director Steve Goodman on winning the Indiana ASTA Studio Teacher of the Year Award! ASTA is the American Strings Teachers Association. We are so proud of you, Mr. Goodman! Thank you for mentoring another generation of outstanding musicians.

Jonathan Kane Artwork Featured in Exhibit Several pieces of fine arts teacher Jonathan Kane’s artwork were recently on exhibit at the 11th annual TINY Show at Gallery 924 in downtown Indianapolis. His pieces were created as part of the Lilly Teacher Creativity Fellowship Grant that he received. Through the grant, Mr. Kane traveled to Hawaii where he photographed and sketched landscapes. Mr. Kane returned home to create a variety of works. One of his pieces is shown beside his photo on the far right. Those interested in purchasing one of the limitededition block prints may contact Jonathan Kane at jonkane.art@gmail.com. We are so fortunate to have Mr. Kane work with our fine arts students!

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CATHEDRAL SCHOLARS ANSWER THE CALL TO GREATNESS National Merit Semifinalists Please join us in congratulating Cathedral’s six National Merit semifinalists! High school students enter the National Merit Scholarship Program during their junior year by taking the PSAT. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

Congratulations to the following students: Pictured front row, left to right: Joseph Mariani ’23, Liam Eifert ’23, and Charlotte Thompson ’23.

Back row, left to right: Cade Johnston ’23, Julia Thompson ’23, and Nick Busam ’23.

These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for more than 7,200 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million.

National Merit Commended Students Cathedral congratulates our seven National Merit Commended Students! About 34,000 Commended Students are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise.

Although they will not continue in the 2023 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 students who entered the 2023 competition by taking the 2021 PSAT. Please join us in congratulating the following students: Pictured front row, left to right: Sydney Johnston ‘23, Anna Elpers ‘23, and Alexandria Gregor ‘23.

Back row, left to right: Nya Huff ‘23, Charles Haas ‘23, Hank Salzmann ‘23, and Ben Jones ‘23.

College Board Scholars Cathedral High School is proud to announce the College Board has selected eight of our outstanding scholars for the National African American Recognition Award (NAARA) and two of our scholars for the National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA).

These students earned these awards because of their academic achievements and exceptional performance on the PSAT and/or AP Exams.

Please join us in congratulating the following students: Pictured front row, left to right: Ava Tenorio ‘24 – NHRA, Kristyn Fisher ‘23 – NAARA, Gabrielle Carroll ‘24 – NAARA, Alejandro Lozano ‘24 – NHRA, Rachel Rodecap ‘24 – NAARA, and Kylie Huczko ‘24 – NAARA.

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Back row, left to right: Joseph Jideonwo ‘23 – NAARA, Alanah Shaw ‘23 – NAARA, Christopher Hunt ‘23 – NAARA, and Karmin Shaw ‘24 – NAARA.

Congratulations to Cathedral’s Two Lilly Scholars

Congratulations to Cathedral’s Saint Mary Scholar

Congratulations to Danna Ventura ’23 (left) and Kahmara Munn ’23 (right) on being selected Lilly Scholars. Each young lady will receive a full-tuition scholarship, required fees, and a book stipend for four years at the Indiana college or university of her choice. Danna and Kahmara were selected from more than 100 applicants in Marion County and are two of the 11 students in Marion County to make up the 2027 Cohort of Lilly Scholars. We are so proud of you, Danna and Kahmara!

Congratulations to Bronson Keehn ‘23 on receiving the Saint Mary Academic Scholarship to Marian University! The Saint Mary Academic Scholarship is Marian’s most prestigious award and covers full tuition for all four years! On hand to congratulate Bronson were his parents, Tracey Gillespie and Alva Keehn, his sister, Briar Keehn ‘25, and Chad Hardin, Marian’s Associate Director of Freshmen Admission. Roughly 200 students applied for this scholarship, and only 15 received the award. We C You, Bronson, and we are incredibly proud of you!

Civil Air Patrol Honors Congratulations to Alysse Neal ‘23 and Richard Griffith ‘25 on being recognized for their outstanding work with the Civil Air Patrol. Alysse received the Glenn Foy Flight Scholarship for continued flight training at the Indiana Wing Civil Air Patrol Conference and Banquet. Richard received the CAP Amelia Earhart Award recognizing sustained excellence in leadership, aerospace, and character at the Indiana Wing Civil Air Patrol Conference and Banquet. Alysse and Richard are pictured with Civil Air Patrol moderator and Senior Member Robert Kouril.

Cathedral’s Newest Eagle Scouts Congratulations to Cathedral’s Newest Eagle Scouts, Charlie Haas ’23 (pictured left) and Jacob Neucks ’23 (pictured right)!

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CIRCLE CITY CLASSIC CORONATION Cathedral High School is proud of the beautiful and talented young ladies who represented us so well in the Miss Circle City Classic Coronation.

Pictured left to right: Nyla Stanback ’23, Kiersten Fisher ’22 (Miss Circle City Class Queen 2021), Blaire Jones ’23, Ken Barlow ’82, Kristyn Fisher ’23 (1st runner-up), Lauren Humes ’23, Kamryn Smith ’23 (Miss Congeniality), and Jean Smith ’97. year, Cathedral’s chapter has earned 100 Club membership. This award demonstrates an outstanding commitment to teaching students essential life skills, including communication, research, listening, writing, and organization.

Cathedral’s Speech and Debate Team is led by Coach Jeanne Malone and Assistant Coaches Chris Gray and Elaine Adams.

Diamond Troutman ’23, pictured second from left also represented Cathedral very well!

We are so proud of all this year’s participants!

Speech and Debate Greatness Sophia Beeson ‘25 is the 4H State Grand Champion in public speaking! As part of this honor, Sophia will receive a $500 scholarship. Congratulations, Sophia! Your Cathedral family is very proud of you.

And speaking of our phenomenal speech program, Cathedral’s Speech and Debate Team has earned membership in the National Speech and Debate Association’s prestigious 100 Club. Students earn points and degrees based on competition, leadership, and service activities, which contribute to the school’s strength points. Because our students achieved 177 or more strength points last

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Sophia Beeson ‘25

PRIDE OF THE IRISH MARCHES IN VETERANS DAY PARADE First Indianapolis Veterans Day Parade Since 2019

Photo Credit: Isaac Taylor

Mykee Fowlin, PhD Leads Multicultural Assembly Thank you to Ken Barlow ’82, Cathedral’s Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion, for inviting Mykee Fowlin, PhD, to lead this year’s multicultural assembly. Dr. Fowlin challenged the students to turn their pain into purpose and help change the world. His one-person presentation, ‘You Don’t Know Me Until You Know Me,’ took students on a journey that challenged them to reexamine the lessons they learned as early as first grade.

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EM PO W ERING G RE AT N E SS

Immaculée Ilibagiza spoke for more than an hour at the Forever Irish Ladies Brunch, held at the Ritz Charles in Carmel. Thank you to our Irish Angels hostesses for your support!

Immaculée Ilibagiza asked Father Jomy to bless her before she spoke to the students and educators in the Welch Activity Center.

Immaculée Ilibagiza Shares Story of Faith and Forgiveness Cathedral High School was blessed and honored to welcome Rwandan genocide survivor, best-selling author, and motivational speaker Immaculée Ilibagiza to Cathedral on November 9, 2022.

Immaculée started her morning by speaking at the Forever Irish Ladies Brunch. She captivated the 300 ladies in attendance by sharing her journey, starting from the time she hid in a 3-foot-by-4-foot-bathroom with seven other ladies during the Rwandan genocide.

“When I was shown the bathroom in which I was supposed to hide, I thought, ‘how am I supposed to fit in such a tiny space?’ Soon, four other ladies showed up and then three more,” says Immaculée. “That just goes to show when things look bad, they can always get worse.”

Immaculée continued to captivate the audience with stories of how she prayed and recited 27 rosaries a day while hiding in that tiny bathroom. After three tortuous months, she was finally able to leave the bathroom, only to learn that her parents, two brothers, grandparents, and all her friends had been killed. Her world was shattered, yet her faith was not.

“I asked God to help me forgive, and He did,” says Immaculée. “I think about what Jesus said as they were dividing his clothes and preparing to crucify Him. He said, ‘Lord, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ If our Lord can forgive those who tortured and crucified Him, can’t we forgive those who hurt us? Nothing we have gone through can compare to what our Lord and his mother, the Virgin Mary, went through.”

After Immaculée’s talk at the Forever Irish Ladies Brunch, she headed to Cathedral to speak with students and educators. She asked Father Jomy for a blessing before her talk and visited one of our Mary statues to pray.

Special thanks to Board Chair Victoria Schneider ’88 Temple and the Schneider Corporation for bringing Immaculée to Cathedral. The visit was one many in the Cathedral family won’t soon forget.

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Immaculée stopped to pray in front of our beautiful Mary statue in the courtyard, then posed for a photo with Board Chair Victoria Schneider ’88 Temple.

Art of Christmas – Breakfast with Santa

Santa was a big hit with the Weaver family! Pictured here: Jonah Weaver ’13, Aly Saum '13 Weaver, and Finley Weaver ’39.

Art of Christmas: Breakfast with Santa is a fundraiser for our fabulous Cathedral Choirs! Everyone certainly enjoyed the music provided by our talented singers during the event.

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The Irish were a young team and rebuilding in 2022, but made significant strides throughout the season and into the postseason.

“The coaching staff was really pleased with how the year went,” second-year boys cross country coach Jason Moyars said. “I am pleased with how each of the runners strived to push themselves out of their comfort zone to get better.”

Sports Wraps

The Irish, after finishing sixth in the sectional in 2021, finished as the City runners-up in 2022, then turned in a strong team and individual performance at the Section 20 meet at Brebeuf Jesuit. The Irish finished sixth with 135 points. Senior Liam Eifert advanced all the way to Regionals, placing 14th. Eifert proved key both on the course and off, leading the Irish at times and providing leadership for a young team.

Cheerleading

Once again, Cathedral’s Competitive Cheer Team is headed to Nationals!

Good luck, ladies! Look for updates on social media this February and a complete wrap-up of the Cheer season in the next issue of Highlights.

Girls Cross Country

They were good. Really good.

Cathedral High School girls cross country improved throughout 2022, then ran competitively during a difficult postseason schedule. Circumstances kept the Irish from the later rounds of the postseason. But that didn’t keep the 2022 season from being a success—or from setting the tone for a bright future.

“Any other regional in the state we still would have been going,” Brad Peterson said. “Geography was not on our side.”

Boys Cross Country

The growing continued for Cathedral High School boys cross country.

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Peterson, hired as the Irish’s girls cross country coach in late May, said the team underwent a culture change in 2022. The Irish saw big-time results with a thirdplace finish in the Section 20 meet at Brebeuf Jesuit that enabled them to advance to the Region 10 meet at Noblesville.

“That’s a pretty big step,” Peterson said.

The Irish finished seventh at the regional, narrowly missing advancing to the Semi-State meet.

Football

This was a successful season by any measure.

Cathedral High School football throughout the 2022 season competed with the biggest schools and the best teams—and the Irish often beat the biggest schools and the best teams. They also made a run deep into the postseason.

“We just got consistently better as the season went on,” Irish head coach Bill Peebles '88 said.

The young Irish, playing in Class 6A after winning backto-back Class 5A state titles in 2021 and 2022, improved steadily throughout the 2022 season and finished 10-2 with a 33-10 loss to eventual state champion Center Grove in a Semi-State game on November 18.

They also established themselves as a 6A contender and won Cathedral's first 6A Regional Championship.

Kendrick Gilbert ’23 - U.S. Army All-American Bowl Congratulations to Kendrick Gilbert ‘23 on being selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl!

Kendrick started on both the offensive and defensive line this year and helped the Irish earn a 37-4 record during his three years on varsity. Kendrick joins Emil Ekiyor ‘18 as the only players in Cathedral football history to play in the All-American game!

Girls Golf

Ryan Brammer liked what he saw, and what he saw was progress.

Cathedral High School girls golf made plenty of that in 2022, and the result was a successful season of growth—with a potentially very bright future.

Brammer, the Irish’s girls golf coach, said the program overcame a difficult start in the fall of ’22 because of sickness within the team in late August and early September. The Irish peaked after that with a strong finish in the postseason.

“This is definitely a step forward in a major direction,” Brammer said.

The young Irish featured just one senior (Allison Haug) on varsity in ’22, and after a strong finish in the City Tournament, they turned in a third-place finish as they hosted the Maple Creek Sectional.

Coach Adam Barth Coach Adam Barth received the Broyles Award for the Assistant Coach of the Year for Indiana!

Congratulations, Coach Barth!

For a complete wrap up of each sport, go to

gocathedral.com/athletics FALL/WINTER 2022 CATHEDRAL HIGHLIGHTS

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Girls Soccer

Marc Behringer '84 could hardly be more pleased.

Cathedral High School girls soccer in 2022 moved up in competition—and difficulty—and turned in a remarkable season with a deep run in the state tournament.

The Irish also stayed true to program values and approach, finishing among the state’s top eight teams by overcoming adversity and playing solid defense with an opportunistic offense, and by playing with heart and desire. All of that mattered. A lot.

Boys Soccer

“Sport is about developing human beings and this group showed the kind of character that we hope being part of our program will develop in these young ladies,” Behringer said following his 27th season as Irish girls soccer coach. “I’m really happy with what the outcome of the season was for these young student-athletes.”

Cathedral High School 2022 boys soccer overcame injury, adversity and a difficult schedule. By season’s end, they were tournament tough and savvy. They also were one of the state’s best teams.

The Irish, after moving up from Class 2A, competed in 2022 as the smallest school in Class 3A. They finished the season 12-5-4, losing to Carmel, the state’s biggest school, 4-2 in a regional final.

For a complete wrap up of each sport, go to

gocathedral.com/athletics

It started in a tough, testing fashion. It ended dramatically.

“It certainly was an interesting year,” Irish boys soccer coach Joel Russell said. “I couldn’t be prouder of the boys.”

The Irish finished the 2022 regular season with a 5-7-5 record and unranked in the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association Class 3A rankings in Russell’s second season as head coach. They went on to a memorable postseason run that included three consecutive victories on penalty kicks.

The Irish beat Class 3A No. 1-ranked Carmel 1-1 in penalty kicks in a regional final at Carmel. That came after a 1-1 regional-semifinal victory over East Central in penalty kicks, which followed a 1-1 victory over Perry Meridian in a sectional final.

The Irish lost to Columbus North 2-1 in the semi-state round and finished the season 10-8-5.

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Quenichet said following her first season as the Irish’s girls volleyball coach. “I feel like progress was made there and I’m proud of that.”

The Irish in 2022 won their fifth consecutive sectional title, winning the Class 4A Section 10 title with a 3-0 victory – 25-17, 25-16, 25-8 – over Lawrence North. They lost in a regional semifinal to Brownsburg 3-2 – 25-13, 17-25, 25-13, 21-25, 15-10 – at Greenfield-Central.

Boys Tennis

The Irish also won the City Tournament, beating Scecina 3-2 in the final.

They fought, scrapped, and maximized what they were.

That defined Cathedral High School boys tennis in 2022, and that’s what second-year coach Jeff Giles will remember most about a season of adversity for the Irish.

It was a season of success for the Irish, too—a season highlighted by memorable individual moments and big-time performances, en route to another City Championship.

“We had some good wins at the end of the year,” Giles said of a team that also finished with an overall varsity grade point average of 3.93.

The Irish, who finished the 2022 season with a 13-8 overall record ranked No. 13 in the Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Association rankings, beat rival Bishop Chatard 4-1 in a Section 48 semifinal. They finished the season with a 5-0 loss to No. 2-ranked and eventual state champion North Central in the sectional final.

Fall Sports Signing

10 Cathedral student-athletes will continue their careers at the next level.

Congratulations to the 10 Cathedral student-athletes who signed their letters of intent to continue their academic and athletic careers. Students who signed their letters of intent in December will be featured in the next Highlights issue.

Pictured above, left to right:

Girls Volleyball

They were good, and they were close to being much better.

Cathedral High School girls volleyball also improved dramatically during the 2022 season, which set the stage for future Irish teams. That made ’22 a successful season.

Kailee Swart, Pole Vault (University of South Dakota) Caiti Barthel, Volleyball (University of Tennessee at Chattanooga) Kara McCarthy, Lacrosse (Rockhurst University) Layla Gold, Basketball (Valparaiso University) Kate Phillips, Soccer (University of Missouri) Ava Jordan, Gymnastics (University of Michigan) Jake Davis, Basketball (Mercer University) Xavier Booker, Basketball (Michigan State University) Kyuss Gargett, Baseball (University of Kentucky) David Ayers, Baseball (Butler University)

It made it an important one, too.

“We were trying to form a culture of family and being a good teammate to the person next to you,” Karrie

For a complete wrap up of each sport, go to

gocathedral.com/athletics FALL/WINTER 2022 CATHEDRAL HIGHLIGHTS

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ROWING – NO OAR-DINARY SPORT

Rowing team members from Cathedral include Sophia Delgado ’23, Catherine Madden ’23, Kendal Bolen ’23, and Rachel Claire Henry ’23.

Cathedral students looking for a new sport might consider rowing. Indianapolis is home to the Indianapolis Rowing Center, which has a Junior Program for 6th-12th grade students. Rachel Claire Henry ‘23 joined the program five years ago after doing gymnastics for years.

“I was looking for a fun way to stay active, and my mom suggested I give rowing a try,” says Rachel Claire. “Rowing has been a wonderful outlet for me to develop my leadership skills. I’m also a big fan of the outdoors. Being out on the water is so good for your mental health.”

Rachel Claire is a coxswain, which is an invaluable role on a rowing team. The coxswain is each boat’s conduit between rowers and officials during a regatta, or series of races. Among other duties, the coxswain is in charge of maintaining a safe distance between other crews and navigating turns. The coxswain also runs practices and ensures everything runs smoothly for the team.

“It’s definitely a team sport and it’s great to be part of a group,” says Rachel Claire. “I’ve made a lot of good friends over the years.”

The Junior Rowing Program, which includes students from several area middle and high schools, practices at Eagle Creek and competes throughout the Midwest. There is a fall and spring rowing season, along with indoor winter training.

There will be a spring call out meeting for anyone who might be interested in rowing. Visit the Indianapolis Rowing Center website at indyrowing.org for more information.

“I encourage people to at least give it a try,” says Rachel Claire. “Once you realize how peaceful it is to be out on the water, you’ll probably fall in love with the sport.”

Peszek ’10 and Kesterson Difference Makers Congratulations to Cathedral’s Samantha Peszek ‘10 and Coach Jean Kesterson! These outstanding women have been recognized as one of 50 women who made a difference in Indiana sports. Samantha was on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team that earned a silver medal in Beijing.

She earned multiple national and international titles and starred at UCLA, earning three NCAA titles and 17 AllAmerican honors. Coach Kesterson was Cathedral’s girls volleyball coach for 27 years, leading the Irish to eight state championships. Cathedral’s 2015 team was considered the nation’s best. Coach Kesterson coached four state Gatorade Players of the Year and 17 All-Americans.

Congratulations, Samantha Peszek and Coach Kesterson!

You make Cathedral proud.

Rowing is a low-impact activity and one that some athletes turn to after an injury has sidelined them from another sport. It can also be a lifelong sport, extending well beyond high school.

For example, Cathedral alumna Sydney Cripps ‘19 attended the University of Notre Dame on a rowing scholarship.

The Indianapolis Rowing Center offers adult rowing and adaptive rowing programs.

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Samantha is pictured on the left with Joe Dezelan ’62 and Coach Kesterson is pictured on the right. Both photos were taken in 2020 when the ladies were inducted into Cathedral’s Circle of Excellence.

COACH RHONDA LOW – STILL SERVING THE SPORT SHE LOVES You can’t talk about boys volleyball in Indiana without mentioning Coach Rhonda Low. The impact she has had on the sport spans decades and thousands of families. Her boys coaching journey at Cathedral started in the early 90s when she approached then-President Julian Peebles '64 about starting a boys volleyball club.

“We needed to help some of our guys find a way to connect,” says Coach Low. “Some young men enroll at Cathedral thinking they’ll play baseball or basketball all four years.

When they get cut from those sports, they often feel lost.

Young men can find their place playing volleyball. I’ve seen it happen time and time again.”

Ask Coach Low about volleyball, and her face lights up. It’s evident that volleyball is still in her blood, even after retiring from coaching in 2020 and teaching in 2021.

“I had to step away to concentrate on my health. I was diagnosed with cancer in 2015 and had a relapse in 2018. I still take a daily chemo maintenance pill that leaves me fatigued and impacts my sleep patterns.”

Still, Coach Low continues to work for the volleyball program in Indiana. She’s part of the Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association and the Indiana Boys Volleyball Coaches Association. The IBVCA’s tireless work led to a huge victory in May 2022 with the IHSAA adding boys volleyball to its new emerging sport process. The process helps create a path for sports and participation to continue to grow with the eventual possibility of becoming a recognized sport with sponsorship of an official state tournament.

“It took 30 years, but the IHSAA finally recognizes boys volleyball as an emerging sport. I am so excited for the sport and the athletes.”

Like many successful coaches, Coach Low was a star athlete in high school and college, having played at Indiana State University. She was an assistant coach for the Cathedral girls program and helped them win eight state titles, including a MaxPreps National Championship in 2015.

“My volleyball family is so big. I’ve gotten to know outstanding girls and boys through the sport. It’s a double blessing.”

Coach Low received the first-ever Indiana Boys Volleyball Coaches Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019 and was the first coach to earn the IBVCA State Coach of the Year Award in 2016. She is the winningest boys volleyball coach in Indiana, with nearly 900 wins to her credit. But, even with all those honors, she says her proudest accomplishment is witnessing her former players become successful young men.

“I have former players who are doctors, lawyers, coaches, engineers, great dads, and incredible family men. I feel so blessed to have been a part of their lives.”

She is thankful to Cathedral and alumni families for supporting her through her health battles.

“How could I not go into remission with all of the Cathedral families and colleagues praying for me? I am forever grateful.”

FALL/WINTER 2022 CATHEDRAL HIGHLIGHTS

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CLASS NOTES Lifelong Connections with Alumni and Friends 1940s

Bill Shover ‘46 received the Butler Medal during a ceremony on October 22, 2022.

The Butler Medal is the highest honor conferred by the Butler University Alumni Association.

1950s

Bill Nicholls ‘84 took a spin around Broad Ripple with his father-in-law, Bob Zeunik ‘57.

Bill is married to Jenny Zeunik ‘87 Nicholls and they reside in Westfield. Bob and his wife, Cindy Zeunik, currently reside in Indianapolis.

Jerald Harkness ‘87 was the first ever recipient of the Spotlight Award from the Indianapolis Black Documentary Film Festival.

Members of the Class of 1969 completed their 2nd annual three-day golf outing in June 2022. Pictured, left to right: Leo Cullina, Tim Kavanaugh, Dwight Nix, Tom O’Donnell, Ray Roembke, Danny “Sticks” Stephenson, Dana Stewart, Dave Weimer, and Denny Yavonovich.

1990s

Gene Murray ‘90 was named 2021-2022 Pike Township Coach of the Year after his first season as head coach of the Pike High School girls volleyball team.

1980s

Ann Gilday ‘80 Lundy was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Indiana Health Centers, Inc., bringing her back home to Indianapolis after spending the last several years in Chicago.

Laurie Alerding ‘91 McCormick married Mike Cassetty in Florida in September 2022.

1960s

Congratulations to Maj. Gen. Robert Nester ‘60, USAFR (Retired) on being a 2022 Indiana Aviation Hall of Fame Inductee. Cathedral Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Cadet, Captain R. Griffith ‘25, presented a Unit Patch that is designed based off Maj. Gen. Nester’s service with the 45th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Grissom ARB.

Ute Finch ‘82 made her movie debut in a scene with John Travolta in the film “Paradise City.” Ute runs a zipline on the island of Maui by day but moonlights as an actor. It is a passion she has enjoyed since her days on stage at Cathedral!

In her role as Vice President of the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance, Holly Davis ‘94 Jones has launched the John M. Mutz Philanthropic Leadership Institute to create a talent pipeline of leaders for philanthropic and nonprofit organizations in the state of Indiana. It is the fourth leadership pipeline talent development program she has created across the country.

Dr. Denny Morrison ‘67 received the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest award offered to alumni by Ball State University.

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After nine years at Syracuse University, Michael Norris ‘82 has taken a position at the University of Wisconsin as the Physical Education Teacher Education Instruction and Coordination Director.

FALL/WINTER 2022 CATHEDRAL HIGHLIGHTS

Andrew Autajay ‘95 and his wife, Sarah, welcomed Madelyn Rose on October 21, 2022.

Sarah Cooper ‘95 has opened Lux Lab Hair and Body in the heart of Carmel.

Ryan Colbert ‘99 was named Sr. Lead Industrial Engineer - Final Area Trim Department at Ford Motor Company.

2000s

Curt Hefner ‘00 and his wife, Alice, welcomed Lily Holden on September 17, 2022.

Marian University celebrated the work of Julia Malone ‘03 Hum, PhD, assistant professor of physiology and interim director of biomedical sciences program and her contribution to “Segregating the effects of ferric citrate-mediated iron utilization and FGF23 in a mouse model of CKD,” which was published in the journal of Physiological Reports in June 2022.

Anna Knoble ‘04 Barabas and her husband, Albert, welcomed Arlo Frances on May 25, 2022.

Lauren Kaelin ‘97 and Kyle Hughes ‘96 were married at the Lindley Farmstead in Westfield on October 29, 2022. Members of the wedding party included Kevin Hughes ‘95, Shannon Kaelin ‘08 Hunt, Daniel Hughes ‘22, and Aidan Hughes ‘24.

Heather Mesalam ‘04 has opened her third location of Restore Hyper Wellness.

Zach Pruitt ‘00 and his wife, Lee, welcomed Livia James on October 11, 2022.

Stefanie Marten ‘01 Beckley and her husband, James, welcomed Dominic Marten on July 12, 2022.

Lauren Holbrook ‘01 Craycraft and her husband, Dan, welcomed Margaret “Maggie” Olivia on September 9, 2022.

Jack Williams ‘04 and his wife, Jordan, welcomed Xander Elliott on November 14, 2022.

Laura Taylor ‘01 Koke started a new professional role as Clinical Program Manager for Nursing Practice at Riley Children’s Health in September 2022.

Eddie Sahm ‘05 and his wife, Courtney, welcomed Leona Colbert on May 27, 2022.

Dr. Annie Lintzenich ‘98 Andrews ran for Congress in South Carolina in 2022. Annie and her husband, Dr. Charlie Andrews, reside in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

They have three children, Gracie, Henry, and Evelyn.

Erin Bowling ‘99 and her husband, Jaideep, welcomed Ethan Jai on August 9, 2022.

Matt Brown ‘99 and Nicole Mauser ‘01 Brown welcomed Beatrice Naomi on March 4, 2022. Matt is a child and adolescent psychiatrist in private practice while Nicole teaches art at The University of Chicago.

Beatrice joins big brother Miles (3) and they reside in Chicago.

Kevin Leight ‘01 and his wife, Lisa, welcomed Anna Marie in May 2022.

Tony Galbo ‘02 married Lana Royer on October 1, 2022, in Tiburon, California.

Justin Autajay ‘07 married Deya Hernandez on September 24, 2022.

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Drew Perius ‘08 and his wife, Jackie, welcomed Eleanor Theresa on November 20, 2022.

Sarah N. Smith ’08 received her Doctor of Jurisprudence from Stanford Law School.

Currently, Sarah is a law clerk for the Honorable Judge David F. Hamilton, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

2010s

Erin Wissler ‘10 Gerdes and her husband, Harrison, welcomed Annabelle Rose on July 4, 2022.

Ted Karras ‘11 launched “Cincy Hats” to raise money to provide housing and services for adults with developmental disabilities.

Jennie Shipley ‘10 and Pat Brady ‘10 were married on October 8, 2022, in Boulder, Colorado.

Eddie Steinmetz ‘10 married Annalivia Kissel on October 15, 2022.

Ava Kavanaugh ‘12 Cornett and her husband, Dru, welcomed Everett Daniel and Landon Kevin on July 29, 2022.

Congratulations to Nicholas George ‘12 and his wife, Rebecca, who wed on October 18, 2022, in Santa Barbara, California.

Sarah Bauer ‘09 married Greer Mackebee on July 2, 2022 at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Indianapolis. They live in Washington, D.C. Cathedral alumni in the wedding party included Mike Bauer ‘63, Katie Bauer ‘97, Joe Bauer ‘00, Christine Bauer ‘03, and Max Bauer ‘06.

Drew Stutzman ‘10 was named the 2022 Emerging Leader of the Year by the Building Owners and Managers Association of Indiana, Inc.

Vincent Scotto III ‘12 and Shannon Minogue welcomed their son, Vincent Scotto IV on September 30, 2022.

Connor Barthel ‘11 married Abriana Lujan on May 21, 2022, in Westminster, Colorado.

Members of the Cathedral family in the wedding party included Scott Miller ‘10, Schuyler Montefalco ‘11, Cam Nelson ‘11, Collin Barthel ‘14, Caiti Barthel ‘23, football coach and father of the groom, Tim Barthel, and Principal Julie Barthel.

Brynn Thompson ‘09 Swaim and her husband, Owen, welcomed twins Gwenevere June and Bernard Owen in September 2022.

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Molly O’Brien ‘13 Cureton and Luke Cureton ‘13 welcomed their son, Camden Wade on November 4, 2022.

Ryan Rodgers ‘13 and Lauren Keisler ‘13 were married on November 5, 2022, at St. Malachy Catholic Church in Indianapolis.

Lindsey Newhart ‘13 married Jack Bauschelt on October 2, 2021 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Cathedral family members in the wedding party included Hanna Quinn ‘13 Bitter, Ellen Broyles ‘13, Laine Hughes ‘13, Sam Tobar ‘13, Emily Warstler ‘13, Hunter Wolfe ‘13, Bailey Newhart ’17, and George Newhart ’21.

Johnny Scotto ‘13 married Theresa Huber in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, on October 29, 2022. Members of the Cathedral family n the wedding party included Vincent Scotto III ‘12 and Daniel Scotto ‘17.

Jack Stephens ‘13 married Elly Harrell in Chicago on October 29, 2022. Members of the Cathedral family in the wedding party included Sarah Cobb ‘11, Eddie Stephens ‘11, Grant Kirkpatrick ‘13, Joanie Stephens ‘17, and Mark Ugo ‘25.

Sloan Toby ‘13 married Connor Ryan on June 10, 2022.

Jack Glaser ‘16 married Emma Cline on August 27, 2022 at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Indianapolis. Members of the Cathedral family in the wedding party included Kyle Ferguson ‘16, Nolan Lissman ‘16, Simon Sasin ‘17, and Ella Glaser ‘21.

Elise Cassidy ‘17 was named the Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader of the week on September 29, 2022, at their home football game vs. the Miami Dolphins.

Elise is in her second year as a Bengals cheerleader and is employed in Cincinnati as a marketing specialist.

Brooklin Sims ‘16 graduated from Robert H. McKinney School of Law in May 2022 and is now working for Reynolds American Inc. in Winston Salem, North Carolina.

Katrina DeLeon ‘17 married Alan Lozano ‘17 on July 1, 2022, at Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church in Indianapolis.

Sophia Oskins ‘14 married Christian Frank in Indianapolis on October 29, 2022.

Ben Sasin ‘14, C.S.C. professed his first vows in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in July 2022.

Congratulations to Kourtney Steppe ‘16 on winning her first national pageant as Miss Princess of America 2022.

Nia Parker-Robinson ‘17 has begun her professional volleyball career with Aris Thessaloniki Volleyball Club in Greece after being a four-year starter and team captain for Northwestern University and completing her COVID eligibility year at the University of North Carolina.

Mary Glowner ‘15 and Patrick Foster ‘15 were married on October 22, 2022.

Sam Blanchet ‘16 married Amber Neal on November 19, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee.

KeiShawn Terrell ‘16 married Tamara Carver on August 27, 2022, at New Direction Church in Indianapolis.

Abby Woida ‘18 married Stephen Sandstedt on July 30, 2022, in Bozeman, Montana.

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Austin Vukovits ‘18 was named the SEC Men’s Golfer of the Week after picking up his first individual career victory at the North Alabama Invite on October 18, 2022.

KEN KAUFMAN October 9, 1941 – June 3, 2022 Ken was a teacher, coach, official, and transportation director whose career spanned 59 years and four different Indiana high schools, including Peru High School, North Miami High School, 20 years at Northwestern High School, and the last 34 years at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis. In his 26 years as a head baseball coach, Kaufman amassed a career record of 384-270-1. He retired from coaching in 1996.

He was an IHSAA contest official who held a license in the sports of baseball, softball, volleyball, track and field, and football. In 2014, Kaufman was chosen to work the Class A Softball State Finals.

He was a servant-leader whose former student-athletes describe him as a person who had a major role in shaping their lives. He was truly a mentor and friend to many who knew him well.

2020s

Congratulations to Claire Hunter ‘20 on her selection as an Institute for Leadership Studies Parliamentary Internship Fellow for the 2022-23 academic year. Claire, an international relations major at Loyola Marymount, is spending this year in London working for a Labour Member of Parliament.

Kendall Jones ‘21 welcomed her son, Theodore “Teddy” Joseph on September 21, 2022.

Kaufman was a 1959 graduate of Eastern High School in Greentown, Indiana. He earned a football scholarship to Indiana Central College where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1963 and a Master of Arts in 1975. In 1991, the University of Indianapolis honored him as Varsity Club Coach of the Year.

Ken is survived by his wife of 57 years, Jane (Struble) Kaufman; brother Karl (Diane) Kaufman; son Chris (Stephanie) Kaufman; daughter Abby (David) George; grandchildren Mary “Katie” Kaufman '12, Blake Kaufman '19, Austin George '12, Jacob George, and Lauren George.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace.

W E WA N T T O HEAR FROM YO U! Have you changed jobs, gotten married, had a baby, received an award or recognition, or moved? Let us know!

Complete and mail the form below or email the information to Jean Smith ’97 at jesmith@gocathedral.com.

NAME

CLASS YEAR

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PHONE

YOUR NEWS

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EMAIL

IN MEMORIAM 1930s Zoe Booker SAA ‘38 Tom Scanlan ‘39 1940s John Atkinson ‘41 Millie Gonder SMA ‘42 Weimer Pat Grady ‘43 Mary Elizabeth Shircliff LS ‘44 Glover Bastin Sam Ajamie ‘45 Carl Bordenkecher ‘45 Tom Doyle ‘46 Jim Huser ‘47 Jack Clark ‘48 Jim Drummond ‘48 Jim McGarrell ‘48 Ralph Dietz ‘49 Frank Latendresse ‘49 Paul Wickham ‘49 1950s John Burnett ‘50 Phyllis Lambert SMA ‘50 Cesnik Erwin Erb ‘50 Janine Swent SAA ‘50 John Van Slyke ‘51 Mary Jane Biro SJA ‘52 Maxwell Raymond Vurpillat ‘52 Moe Whittemore Jr. ‘52 Ron Battreall ‘53 Dave Eaton ‘53 Bill Fox ‘53 Ginny Talbott SMA ‘53 Holzer Monte Jines ‘53 Ted Woerner ‘53 Harry Griffin ‘54 Tom Stenger ‘54 Mike Brennan ‘56 Michael Cleary ‘56

Tony Fry ‘56 Mike Glenn ‘56 Don Ragan ‘57 William Wickham CSC ‘57 Jack Lichtenberg ‘59 1960s Michael Baugh ‘60 Francis Brandenburg ‘60 Billie Carr SMA ‘60 Mike Dryer ‘60 Jim Glennon ‘60 Brian McMahon ‘61 Jim Hafner ‘62 Thomas Murray ‘63 Marcia King LS ‘64 Cleary George Johns ‘64 Mary Pat Mahan SAA ‘66 McElhiney Mike Chrapla ‘67 1970s Tom Pitz ‘70 Ed Becher ‘71 Dave Zapp ‘74 George Fox ‘75 1980s Dennis Dugan ‘83 Wydell Brownlow ‘86 John M. Berry ‘88 1990s Bill Spalding ‘94 2000s Colin Kippenbrock ‘06 2010s Austin Sup ‘18

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Let’s Enjoy the Ride

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FEBRUARY 25, 2023

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