By John Rohlf, The Message assistant editor
Students from all 26 schools in the Diocese of Evansville filled St. Benedict Cathedral in Evansville for the 2025 Catholic Schools Week Mass.
Bishop Joseph M. Siegel celebrated the annual Mass Jan. 28 at the Cathedral. Twenty-three priests from parishes with schools across the Diocese of Evansville concelebrated the Mass. Deacon Dan Niemeier, president at Mater Dei High School, assisted during the Mass. Over 850 students and staff with the 26 diocesan Catholic schools attended the Mass.
The Mass was celebrated on the feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas, priest and Doctor of the Church. During the Mass, Bishop Siegel said it was very providential they gathered for the Catholic Schools Week Mass on the feast day of St. Thomas.
During his homily, Bishop Siegel said St. Thomas Aquinas managed to balance his spiritual life and relationship with the Lord, along with being an accomplished scholar. Bishop Siegel said this union of faith and academics is what makes Catholic schools unique. He said it is so appropriate that St. Thomas Aquinas is a special patron of Catholic education. There is much St. Thomas can teach both the budding scholars among the students in the schools and others who may not rise to academic prominence, Bishop Siegel said.
Bishop Siegel noted St. Thomas Aquinas can help us to ask ourselves what we are missing and how we can come to a deeper love and understanding of the gift and mystery of the Holy Eucharist. Bishop Siegel noted St. Thomas’ great devotion to the Mass and Eucharist.
Bishop Siegel said we may not be theologians but we are called to know our faith well so we can share it with others, teach it to others and at times, defend it. We ask St. Thomas Aquinas to help all of our Catholic schools to follow his example to grow in faith and goodness and wisdom, Bishop Siegel said.
Prior to Mass, Diocese of Evansville Superintendent of Schools Michelle Priar said for the past several years, they had to adjust their seating arrangements due to the number of fifth graders, eighth graders and high school seniors at the annual Mass. There were multiple rows of seats for students and administrators in the narthex of the Cathedral.
“We had to scrunch it together and add chairs,” Priar said. “And that just means that our schools are growing. And I think that’s a wonderful thing to celebrate.”
Mater Dei High School Senior Jack Richey attended the Catholic Schools Week Mass for the first time. He would have attended the Mass as an eighth grade student at Corpus Christi four years ago, but that year’s Mass was canceled due to COVID-19.
“I think it’s definitely something you don’t experience often … It definitely feels like an extended version of the community I’ve been in my whole life at Mater Dei,” Richey said. “And just seeing people of the same faith from further away all come together in one spot is a very cool experience.”
Richey said there was “something special” about being at the Cathedral for the Mass.
Zoe Hibbard, an eighth grade student at Corpus Christi School in Evansville, was excited to attend the Mass and be at Mass with Bishop Siegel and several priests throughout the diocese.
“I’m really excited honestly,” Hibbard said before the Mass. “I’ve never been in here before. It looks so nice.”
