Dear Xavier Family, Several times a year, I engage in discussions with our student section at athletic events. Usually it starts with them wondering why I am such a curmudgeon, why I don’t like fun, or why the opposing team’s student section can taunt us but we cannot retaliate. And I get it – it seems unfair, not to mention that college students are doing far worse things at their own games. But every time we are in discussion, I remind them of the same thing. We are Xavier. We are called to be something different, something countercultural. When other communities watch us, they don’t just think of us as representatives of Xavier. To them, we represent the worldwide Catholic Church and Jesus himself. We are many people’s only experience with Catholicism and with Jesus. That must always be at the forefront of our decision making. Our mission as a school is not simply to give students a world-class education, although that’s an important part. It is not to win championships, although it’s certainly valuable for us to develop the gifts and talents that God bestowed upon us. Our fundamental mission is to evangelize through our words and actions – every person who encounters a member of the Xavier community should experience the love of Jesus. That’s not always easy, but it is why we expect our athletic teams to act differently. We expect them to pray regularly. We expect them to be the most sportsmanlike, most humble, and most loving teams. Do they say thank you to the officials after a game? Do they leave their locker room as clean as it was when they found it? Is their language reflective of our values? Do our coaches prioritize the individual growth of their players over results and recognition? In short, are Xavier teams and clubs radically different?
September 2023 Volume #420 In this Issue: Academic News ........................................... 02 Campus Ministry .......................................... 04 Homecoming ................................................ 03 Upcoming Events ......................................... 06
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Here’s the honest truth – too often, we are not. Some of us do not prioritize the mission, and that’s something we need to make a more important part of our coaching and teaching evaluations. Some of us get caught up in the competition and forget to be better than what we would expect from our opponents. Sometimes, our student athletes model what they see from the professionals or mimic the way they are treated by opponents. We need to be better. Xavier should be a beacon of light in an increasingly divisive and self-centered world. Our students frequently make the kinds of decisions which make us all proud. We need to make these moments the rule, not the exception. Still, one of the great struggles for us at Xavier is that our parents and adults are often setting a poor example at our games. Our adults have a reputation for a number of things which shouldn’t be connected with our Catholic school – a few too many beverages before the game, abusive or disrespectful treatment of the officials (and sometimes the opponent), and a sense of entitlement which seems to affirm the stereotype of Xavier as a bunch of spoiled, rich people. Given the important role that parents play in raising our young people, this is damaging on multiple fronts. We need to have the kind of crowd that other schools’ administrators look forward to hosting (we currently are not). We need to think of small things like cleaning up after ourselves, being supportive of the difficult job of being an official (we don’t produce many officials from our parent section, despite their apparent and always unbiased expertise), and making sure our students see in us what we expect from them. It's a big thing to know that we represent Jesus. It’s huge to know that we are the only experience of the Catholic Church some will ever have. And it’s tough in the heat of battle to take a deep breath and think about what’s most important – the mission. We are here at Xavier because we want our young people to grow up to be moral, positive, thoughtful and selfless. As we begin a new year, let’s make a commitment that the adults who our students encounter will be examples of honor and integrity. That’s the Xavier Way.
For God’s Greater Glory,
Mike Mauthe Principal
Xavier High School is a proud member of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System, and has been accredited by Cognia (formerly the North Central Association) since 1970.