Dear Xavier Family, In the sixty-three year history of Xavier High School, icons sprinkle the landscape. Historic moments such as Rocky Bleier’s historic run, the opening of the Fine Arts Center, and the first Eucharistic Procession populate a timeline of memories. Championships won, concerts performed, shows given standing ovations, Masses offered, service trips attended…there are so many ways to measure the legacy of a school with a rich and diverse tradition like Xavier. Still, if we attend a class reunion or even talk with the current students, the first thing we hear about is not the moments or the achievements; rather, the relationships are the enduring memory of one’s time in high school and specifically the trait that makes a Xavier experience unique. To that end, we have had our share of legends. The Christian Brothers and Franciscan Sisters who first staffed the school are unforgettable – I am told that the school was once led by Brother Peter and Sister Peter. Teachers dedicated their lives to Xavier inside and beyond the classroom as educators, coaches, advisors, role models and so much more. Names like Dennis Oudenhoven, Kathy Bates, Doc Lamon, Peter Bartman and Andy Mahoney come quickly to mind from the last 30 years. When it comes time to bid farewell and thank them for their service, I find that words can seldom do justice to the legacy they leave, but it’s important to try. So this month, please allow me to tell you the story of a Xavier legend and to thank him for his service to Xavier High School.
March 2023 Volume #416 In this Issue: Business........................................................ 02 Campus Ministry .......................................... 04 Upcoming Events.......................................... 10
St. Francis Xavier High School 1600 W. Prospect Avenue Appleton, WI 54914 920-733-6632 Fax: 920-735-1787 www.xaviercatholicschools.org
As many of you know, Mr. Steve Hurula has been courageously battling cancer for nearly two years. What you may not know is that Steve has spent almost thirty years serving the students of Xavier, largely as the teacher of senior theology classes. It has been Steve’s calling to prepare students for taking their faith into college. Beyond his classes, Steve served tirelessly as a coach for the football program, a bowling club moderator, a strength and conditioning coach, and so many more things. As his condition limited his ability to do the things he loved, Steve found ways to adjust. Last summer, when he was no longer able to drive, Steve woke up early and walked miles to school in the early morning to be able to support our students in the fitness center. He fought like crazy to get himself back here to teach our seniors this year and I am so glad that he was able to be with them for as long as he could. His courage and faith were far bigger lessons than anything we could provide in a textbook. This is a man who bleeds Xavier blue – he attends everything, is a legendary storyteller, is curious about the result of any Xavier game or competition and wants all of the students to know how the mock trial team, cross country runners, or anyone else fared in recent events. His laugh and his enthusiasm are undoubtedly a part of the memory of any Xavier alumnus of the past three decades. Our faculty knows Steve as a humble servant of God, probably the most valuable member of the long time “second lunch squad,” and the consummate reminder of what love for one’s profession should look like. Last year I had the chance to meet Steve’s sister and she relayed this story. When Steve received his diagnosis, the doctors told him that he probably had a few years left. He called his sister to tell her the difficult news. Trying to make the best of a terrible moment, she asked him, “OK, well, what do you want to do with your time? Travel? Move someplace warm? What’s on your bucket list?” She said Steve only chuckled and responded in a way that made her think the question was completely ridiculous. “I want to teach” he said, “I love what I do and love where I am. I am going to keep doing it for as long as God allows.” There is nothing I can say to follow that up. That is how much Steve Hurula loves Xavier and loves to serve your students and families. That’s who he is. Steve was in the theology department when I started here more than 25 years ago. He has been a friend, colleague, and inspiration to me and to many. I have no effective means to entirely show our gratitude so I am hoping that your prayers for him will be a small token of our gratitude. Last week, Mr. Hurula passed away and gained eternal rest. In Steve’s farewell e-mail to the students in December, he wrote “Take nothing for granted. Say thank you a lot.” I am sorry that perhaps we have taken the legend that is Mr. Hurula for granted and I thank God for him every day. Xavier is better off because of his dedication, his faith and courage in the face of suffering, and the dignity and grace with which he has persevered during these last few years. I pray that every one of us privileged enough to serve the students at Xavier can do so with the love, enthusiasm and integrity that Steve has modeled for us. He does things the Xavier Way. Thank you, Steve Hurula, for a lifetime of service and an impact on thousands of young people and hundreds of colleagues. You are a blessing to all of us.
For God’s Greater Glory,
Xavier High School is a proud member of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System, and has been accredited by Cognia (formerly AdvancED and the NCA) since 1970.
Mike Mauthe Principal