Across The Arch: PIVOT Story

This story was produced in November 2021 by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. All content owned and used with permission by Across The Arch.
In the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in January of 2021, we visited St. Michael Catholic School in Greenfield to ask how they were finding hope in a time of crisis.
Halfway through a school year that was unlike any school year in modern memory, the teachers and staff at St. Michael were facing the same challenges that all schools across the country were facing. E-learning, social distancing, and mask mandates were obvious. Less obvious was the atmosphere of fear and uncertainty that had consumed the lives of their students. How do you provide reassurance to these young children in such polarized times?
GOD IS IN THIS PLACE
In addition to the Covid-19 pandemic, just days prior to our visit in January were the violent events at the Capitol Building in Washington DC that students were seeing blasted all over social media and their televisions. For principal Ruth Hittel, it’s the Catholic Schools’ strength of being able to lean on faith and spiritual guidance that has proven to be so crucial.
“I couldn’t imagine doing this job without being able to turn to prayer and without being able to use our faith as guidance when the whole world around the children seems like it’s falling apart.” -Ruth Hittel, Principal
In January of 2021, St. Michael Catholic School was also right in the middle of their Capital Campaign renovation of the church. With the church under construction, the gymnasium became the church, thus allowing Mass to occur every Friday morning followed by Adoration. Also on Fridays, the day always ended with Benediction.
“Holy God, We Praise Thy Name’ is the best song that comes out all week long,” says Principal Hittel. “Singing is not the highlight of things right now with masks on, as you hear it’s a bit more muffled in the church. But ‘Holy God, We Praise Thy Name’...that’s still something we have to be proud of.” Pre-K teacher Brandy Sego agrees, again finding comfort in the Catholic School’s commitment to the kids’ spiritual education as well as their academic education. “You want to raise a good person,” says Sego. “We need good people to lead us. Maybe that’s why people are looking more towards Catholic Schools. Our nation is such a wreck right now. Maybe if we had God in more things, the world would be a better, peaceful place.”
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