Rotarians Learn About The State Of Evansville Catholic Schools
Memorial High School senior David Luebbe joined Bishop Charles C. Thompson and Diocesan Superintendent of Schools Daryl Hagan Feb. 17 to deliver a report on Catholic schools to members of the Rotary Club of Evansville.
Luebbe summed things up with one sentence. “Attending Catholic schools my entire life has been vital to my growth as a student, leader and young man,” he said.
He talked about much more related to his experience over 12 years of Catholic education. Bishop Thompson and Hagan supplemented Luebbe’s insights with their perspectives. Together, they provided a comprehensive look into our diocese’s 28 Catholic schools.
Hagan noted that diocesan schools serve more than 7,300 students from pre-kindergarten through high school. “Our Catholic schools serve the whole child,” he said, “and they have a rich tradition of excellence. All 28 schools are accredited through the state of Indiana and AdvancED. They earned 22 As and six Bs in the Indiana School Accountability Index.”
“We are developing young people to be faithful believers and faithful citizens,” Bishop Thompson told the Rotarians. “Our approach is one of being very holistic. We seek to care for the mind, the heart, the body and the spirit of the person. We’re informing the minds while we’re forming the hearts.”
The bishop also discussed the imminent release of a pastoral letter on poverty
“Indiana bishops are about to issue a pastoral letter on poverty,” he said, “on how to address the issues of poverty in our state. One of the four components of that is education. We believe in our Catholic faith that education is a way of overcoming that perpetuation of poverty, violence and indifference, abuse, addiction, and all the various illnesses and struggles in our society.”
He also emphasized that Catholic education should not be considered “exclusive” – instead, it’s really the opposite. “One of the ongoing challenges for us is continuing to make Catholic education affordable,” Bishop Thompson explained. “We do that in various ways to make it available to all persons. We want to make sure that Catholic schools are available to persons of various economic classes, ethnicities and religious backgrounds. All are welcome to our schools.
“Hopefully, the success of our schools is something that speaks for itself,” he added, “especially in how we are developing students holistically to be good people – to be good stewards of their gifts and talents for the sake of God and country, and for the sake of our world.”
Luebbe is a senior at Memorial, and he will attend Indiana University next fall, majoring in finance. He is a member of Annunciation Parish in Evansville, and attended elementary school at its Christ the King campus.
Catholic education has been a part of my life since my first day of kindergarten,” he told Rotary Club members. “I’ve been blessed with a great family that sees tremendous value in Catholic Education.”
He noted that Memorial has a current enrollment of 714, with a student-to-teach ratio of 14:1. “Teachers encourage students to stay after class to seek help on particular subjects,” he noted, “and the generosity of their time shows that they truly care about the education we receive.”
Luebbe reported that 96 members of Memorial’s Class of 2014 received scholarships collectively worth more than $10 million. Out of that 2014 graduating class, 94.5 percent enrolled in a four-year college.
“Another reason (Catholic education is important) is my faith,” he said. “Faith is the most important aspect of life to me because I find my worth and happiness in it. The Catholic environment at Memorial teaches students to treat each person with dignity and respect. We are encouraged to pray daily and serve one another.
"The last major reason that Catholic education has been so important to me is the overwhelming care, support and encouragement I have received in the past 12 years,” he continued. “I have grown from a young boy to a confident man. From administrators to teachers, to fellow students and former graduates, the community of the Catholic Diocese of Evansville is truly a family of families.
“The commaraderie and school spirit at Memorial and Mater Dei, and their feeder schools are evident at school events, fundraisers and sporting events,” Luebbe added. “As I approach the conclusion of my Catholic high school education, I’m very grateful for my growth, due to my teachers, administrators and classmates.”
Hagan and Assistant Superintendent of Schools Michelle Priar provided Rotarians with hand-made thank you notes created for them by kindergarteners and first-graders at Good Shepherd and St. Benedict Cathedral schools. One of those notes even found its way to its creator’s grandfather – a Rotarian in attendance who sought assistance in claiming his granddaughter’s thank-you note.
