Catholic Schools Week Supplement
Everything old is new again:
Parishes, families band together to support new high school
Volunteer David Marsee, left, serves lunch on Jan. 7 at Seton Catholic High School to seventh-grader Rhett Butler, left, a member of St. Mary Parish in Richmond, and Drew Barrett, a member of St. Andrew Parish in Richmond. Marsee, a parent of a student at Seton Catholic High School, is assisted by volunteer Evelyn Miller, also a parent of a student at the school. (Photo by Sean Gallagher)
By Sean Gallagher
RICHMOND—As one of the newest schools in the archdiocese with a history of only six years, the parents, 155 students and staff of Seton Catholic High School in Richmond have little opportunity to reflect upon their past.
Instead, they are focused on building their school as a family in the present so that it can have a bright future.
It is easy to see how the eastern Indiana Catholic high school is a family. Just walk into its cafeteria around lunch time, and you’ll see two parents of students serving food to the student body.
“The school needs volunteers to help it run,” said David Marsee while working on the lunch line. “But I enjoy it, too. I think it’s fun to get to know the kids that are in my kid’s classes.”
Some high school students might balk at seeing their parents in their school’s cafeteria. But not Seton freshman Daniel Marsee.
“We need parent involvement more than ever in a small school [like this one],” Daniel said. “People support the school because they want to see it grow. As it enlarges, it could offer so much more than what it does currently.”
Daniel and his family are members of St. Andrew Parish in Richmond.
“Our parents and our students are cheerleading for our success,” said Seton principal Rick Ruhl. “And the students are so excited because so oftentimes things that we do are brand new.”
One of the new things at the high school is a gymnasium that was opened last November.
Ruhl recalled how its 400 seats were filled and others stood to participate in the dedication ceremony. For him, it was an example of how all of the members of the three parishes that make up the Richmond Catholic Community—Holy Family, St. Andrew and St. Mary—are behind the school.
“I looked up in the stands and I saw not only our own Seton parents, but grandparents [and] folks from the Richmond Catholic Community that didn’t even have any children connected with our school,” he said. “They were there because of their support for our school.”
Father Todd Riebe, the pastor of the three parishes that make up the Richmond Catholic Community, said that Catholic schools not only benefit from the broad support of their sponsoring faith communities, but also end up being a blessing to all.
“Catholic schools bring so many people together, uniting them in a common purpose and mission,” he said. “Parish, family and staff all work together to reinforce the Gospel values.
“A Catholic school benefits not only the students and families that are a part of the school. A Catholic school benefits the entire parish. This has certainly been our experience in Richmond.”
(To learn more about Seton Catholic High School in Richmond, log on to www.setoncatholichighschool.org.) †
