St. Theresa School Building

When St. Theresa School closed its doors at the end of the 2014-2015 academic year, the students headed in many directions; the teachers packed up their supplies; and the building — once bubbling with young voices — became very, very quiet.

Now, thanks to the vision of Father Zach Etienne, the halls and classrooms of the Evansville facility are once again filled with the voices of young people.

Father Zach is the pastor at St. Theresa and Good Shepherd parishes, both in Evansville; and according to Cindy Shoulders, director of youth ministry, “he is a strong advocate for youth ministry.”

Under his leadership, St. Theresa School has been transformed into a youth center for parishioners at both parishes. The former library is now a gathering room, and it’s filled with comfortable couches. A former classroom nearby contains two ping pong tables, and Shoulders is hoping to get a pool table for another classroom. The teacher’s lounge, filled with refrigerators, a stove, even a pantry, will be a great place to prepare “chili and lasagna,” she predicts.

There is access to the school gym and green spaces surround the building.

So far, the transformation has been light on the parish wallet, Shoulders says. The upholstered furniture was donated, and she’s only purchased paint and posters. The labor was provided by the youth. “I invited the kids to get it ready and to paint it. I told them to ‘make it your own.’”

The St. Theresa campus is about four miles from Good Shepherd. Shoulders was concerned that there might be negative comments about the distance from one site to the other. That didn’t happen. “The families of the youth were so happy that we have a space.”

A classroom in the former school building is now being used by the quilters from both parishes, and sports teams at Good Shepherd and Reitz Memorial High School hold practices in the gym. Both parishes also use the facility for parish committee meetings.

Shoulders knows that the school’s closing was “heartbreaking to families” at St. Theresa. “I hope and pray that the families feel some peace and comfort knowing this facility is being used by our youth group to help them grow in their faith.”