A wonderful journey: Emotional farewell awaits sister who has always given her heart to children
Franciscan Sister Lavonne Long’s love of interacting with young people shines on her face. In this 2006 file photo, the then 84-year-old educator shares a laugh with, from left, Hannah Zimmerman, Jesse Wilson and Jessi Wright, students at Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School in Indianapolis. (File photo by John Shaughnessy)
By John Shaughnessy
She expects her farewell tribute to be emotional—for her and for many of the people who will come together to celebrate her 66 years of dedication to young people and Catholic education.
And it seems especially fitting that she will be honored in the gymnasium of the high school to which she has given her heart for 45 years, a gymnasium where this petite woman with the huge smile could often be found in the stands cheering for the student-athletes she has admired and loved.
This time, on the afternoon of June 13, the cheers of the crowd inside the gym at Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School in Indianapolis will be for her—Franciscan Sister Lavonne Long.
The ovation will undoubtedly be long and heartfelt for her as she retires from Scecina—at age 88. Still, it will come as no surprise to everyone who knows her that Sister Lavonne views this special day as her opportunity to say thank you.
“It will be emotional, a day full of gratitude and appreciation for all they’ve given to me,” she says. “Each person who will be in that gym has somehow touched my life—either as a relative, a former student, someone I’ve counseled or just a friend. I’ll be honored by the presence of everyone in that gym.”
The dream, the work and the prayer
On the wall behind Sister Lavonne’s desk, a framed motivational message draws a visitor’s attention. It reads, “Without dreams, there is no reason to work. Without work, there is no reason to dream.”
For Sister Lavonne, her dream and her work have been intertwined ever since she committed her life to God and the Franciscan order 69 years ago. The essence of her “dream-work” fits on the prayer card that she has kept on her desk for as long as she can remember. The prayer, which she knows by heart, states:
“Lord, I thank you for the blessing of this new day. May I use it to reflect your presence in all my thoughts, words and actions so that these hours might end with the world a bit better, and someone’s life a bit happier because of my efforts.”
“I believe that’s why we’re all here,” she says, “to bring the Lord to someone this day.”
For the past 66 years, she has lived that approach as a teacher, principal and director of guidance. She has worked at Scecina for 45 of the 56 years the school has been in existence. For the past 15 years, she has served as a liaison between alumni and administrators at Scecina.
“She’s meant everything to Scecina,” says Ott Hurrle, the longtime head football coach and Scecina staff member who is one of her many good friends. “Her calm demeanor during good times and tough times has been stabilizing. She keeps everybody on track about what Scecina stands for. She reminds you that we’re here for the east side kids to make education affordable for them, and to make sure they get a great education.”
Sister Lavonne began her teaching career at Holy Name School in Beech Grove in 1945. After more than a decade of teaching at schools in Ohio, she came to Scecina in 1956 to teach English. That was her passion, but she received orders to become the principal of the former St. Mary Academy in Indianapolis in 1964.
“I had no desire to be a principal,” she recalls. “I had no desire to lead an all-girls’ school. But I went, and I loved it.”
She cried when she left St. Mary’s in 1973, returning to Scecina as a guidance counselor so she could spend more time helping her sister take care of their ill mother. She has been at Scecina ever since. She remembers a time when 21 Franciscan sisters lived in the convent next to the school. The convent has now become offices for the school. Sister Lavonne works there and lives there in a small apartment.
“She may be the most compassionate person I know,” says Joseph Therber, Scecina’s president. “She searches for the best in everyone she meets. Scecina Memorial High School has been wonderfully blessed because of Sister Lavonne’s ministry. She is a connecting point to our first graduating class in 1957. She really has a heart for children who have suffered losses or setbacks in life. And she greets everyone with a smile.”
A wonderful journey
That smile shines through again when she talks about the blessings she has received from being a part of the community of the Sisters of St. Francis for nearly seven decades. When she leaves Scecina this summer, she will return to the order’s motherhouse in Oldenburg to continue her life as a sister.
Before then, there is the June 13 celebration for her lifetime of caring and commitment, a celebration during which it will be announced that a fund will be established at Scecina in her honor. The Sister Lavonne Fund for Franciscan Initiatives will be used primarily for financial assistance for students and efforts that promote Franciscan values.
“At every graduation, I find myself thanking all those people who made it possible for someone to go to a Catholic school,” she says. “One of my chief concerns has always been making it possible for students who want to come to Scecina to be able to do that.”
As she talks about the fund, her eyes mist at first, but then her famous smile bursts through again.
“I’ll be honest, I’ll miss it here—the staff, the students, the alumni,” she says. “But I’m 88. I just know it’s time. I’m not sad, but I’ll miss it. Everyone has been wonderful to me. And I love seeing the students. I love the family spirit here. Our motto here is to always give a little extra.”
No one has given more.
“I just think about how lucky I’ve been,” she says. “It’s been a wonderful journey.”
(The tribute to Sister Lavonne will begin with Mass at 2 p.m. on June 13 in the gymnasium at Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School, 5000 Nowland Ave., in Indianapolis. A program to honor her and a reception will follow. Contributions to the Sister Lavonne Fund should be sent to Leslie Young, vice president for advancement, Scecina Memorial High School, 5000 Nowland Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46201.) †
