With Christ as the cornerstone

A new chapter will begin for Catholic schools with the official opening and dedication of the state-of-the-art St. Mary’s Central High School on Aug. 21.
 
The north Bismarck location will be the new home of the 9-12 graders who had been attending school at St. Mary’s High School which opened in 1951. That location, in the heart of the city at 1025 N. 2nd Street, will serve as the St. Mary’s Academy for students in grades 6-8.
 
“Our schools are an important extension of our parishes as Catholic schools are an arm of the Church,” said Gerald Vetter, President of Light of Christ Catholic Schools. “To the entire local community, the new SMCHS will offer a modern 21st century learning environment to help prepare our students to be college and career ready.”
 
But, Vetter is quick to point out that the mission of the “Keep the Promise” campaign to build the new St. Mary’s Central High School, the upgrades and additions at the elementary schools and the creation of the Academy has always kept the focus on the students—not just providing an excellent education, but forming disciples of Christ. “In addition to being college and career ready, we also hope and pray that our schools prepare our students and those who teach at the schools to one day be ‘salvation ready’ at the time of our death…we are to live to one day die well and to be joined with the communion of saints.”
 
Bishop Kagan echoed these sentiments reminding everyone that even though it’s a huge financial commitment that created a beautiful building, it is just that in the end—a building. It’s the people who are entrusted to carry out the mission of Catholic education.
 
“The new school facility will neither change nor detract from the Church’s mission of faithful Catholic education, especially the teaching of our Catholic faith,” Bishop Kagan said. “The mission is ever present in our diocese and in the whole Church. The impact of a new facility, I hope, will serve to convince our Catholic parents and families who avail themselves of our schools of our unwavering commitment to them and the diocese; to our Catholic parents and families who do not send their children to our Catholic schools to consider doing so in the present and future; and to those non-Catholic parents and families who are searching for an excellent alternative to their current school choices to seriously investigate our Catholic schools.”
 
People seem to have been taking Bishop Kagan’s advice in recent years evident by the growth experienced at the Catholic schools. “Just as the community of Bismarck continues to grow, Light of Christ Catholic Schools have witnessed student growth of nearly 40% since the origin of the Light of Christ System in the fall of 2012,” explained Vetter. “The new SMCHS is a reality because of the parents continuing to choose a vibrant Catholic education for their children from pre-K through high school. This is a school that the entire community can be proud of for many generations.”
 
Features of the new high school
 
The entire school is connected by a walking corridor in the shape of a horseshoe. The St. Thomas Aquinas Learning Center will offer state-of-the-art classrooms with comfortable flexible seating, student-focused learning and studying spaces, meeting rooms, two art classrooms, a forum room where 90-120 students can gather.
 
The athletic center encompasses a top-loading gym, auxiliary gym, weight room, an outdoor stadium and four locker rooms. The fine arts center features an auditorium, rehearsal rooms and two music rooms. There will be a comfortable cafeteria connecting the academic center to the athletic center where the students can eat, socialize and work.
 
When completed, the Our Lady of Victory Chapel (seating capacity of 600+) will have enough space to seat all the students, teachers, staff and visitors for Mass. The stained-glass windows will tell the story of saints who said “yes” to Christ at a young age. Additionally, the upper stained-glass windows will display the beauty and several titles of our Blessed Mother Mary. The chapel is a separate gift to St. Mary’s Central High School through the generosity of a dedicated local family. 
 
“The new building itself and, certainly once the Our Lady of Victory Chapel is completed, speaks for itself as does every parish Church to the faith, hope and charity of the Catholic faithful of Bismarck-Mandan for well over 100 years. The building is where both our students and their parents are further formed in our Catholic faith and life. If we are faithful to doing what Jesus has commanded, our young people and their families will continue to serve nobly and morally our community here and everywhere else the Lord may take them,” Bishop Kagan noted.
 
The project is quite a contrast to the humble St. Mary’s School built by the Benedictine Sisters who arrived on the Western Plains of the Dakotas in 1878, located where St. Mary’s Parish sits today. The first high school class graduated in 1922. By 1927, the 50th anniversary of the parish, the 24 sisters at the St. Mary’s school taught more than 500 students in grades 1 through 12. It’s remarkable to see how Catholic education has evolved from the one-room schools that the sisters established.
 
Vetter stressed that even though the modern building that welcomes the students this school year is a sight to behold, the focus has and never will waver from the most important thing. “The guiding principle of our Catholic schools has always been firmly rooted in Christ...so that as the foundational rock there are no substitutes. We truly desire that our students are encountering Christ in our Catholic faith through living, learning and serving,” he said.
 
While the building, surrounding extra features and the chapel are a grand display of what the vision of a faithful community, ambitious planners and generous donors can produce, it’s important not to lose sight of the mission.
 
“There are alternatives to Catholic schools, there are no substitutions and there are no better schools for our students than Catholic schools,” added Bishop Kagan. “Because our schools exist to assist our parents in the religious instruction and formation of their children in our faith and as persons who are called to be holy and virtuous now and for as long as they live.  I do not know of a mother and father who would not or should not want that for their children.”