Principal's Message
 

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We often say that because we're a Catholic school, we can pray together, and because we can pray, we must! In addition to daily mass in the chapel, morning prayer, prayer before lunch, and after-school prayer, it is a blessing that we can gather in the Welch Activity Center once a month for an all-school mass. Yesterday was especially moving as we held a special 9/11 Memorial Mass. We welcomed guests from the Indianapolis Fire Department , The Emerald Society, and the Indianapolis Mayor. One of our students also received a wonderful surprise. The Emerald Society presented Larkyn Van Wienen '25 with a scholarship for her academics and commitment to service. Congratulations, Larykn! Your Cathedral family is very proud of you. If you'd like to watch yesterday's mass and scholarship presentation, you can click on this link.

Cathedral's 106th birthday is tomorrow, Friday, September 13th. All of us on the Hill take great pride in our Holy Cross roots and dedication to educating the hearts and minds of a diverse group of students to have the competency to see and the courage to act. To celebrate Cathedral's birthday, students and educators will be doing service work with their CORE groups. May God continue to bless dear Old Cathedral!

We are excited to announce that Cathedral has chosen Clarity as our new financial aid application system. We aim to make the financial aid application process as easy as possible for your family. The financial aid application process for the 2025-2026 school year using Clarity opened on September 9th. Re-enrolling families are encouraged to submit the completed application by December 15th. You can follow the application procedures on our Cathedral website by clicking here. If you have any specific questions regarding financial aid, please email financialaid@gocathedral.com.

Many of you have asked how you can stay updated on how Ms. Pivonka is doing with her cancer treatments. You can follow her journey by going to her CaringBridge site. CaringBridge is a free online health platform families and friends use to share information during a health crisis. Thank you for your prayers. God is the ultimate healer; we know all things are possible through Him!

Homecoming week starts Monday, September 16th. Please scroll down to the green section of the newsletter to see the dress-up themes for each day.  The Homecoming football game is Friday, September 20th, at 7 p.m. at Butler University. Cathedral will face North Central. Go Irish!

If you missed the counseling presentation on the SAT College Board and ACT Accommodations Process, you can click this link to watch the presentation. You can click this link to watch the presentation given during 9th and 10th Grade Parent Info Night.

Here is a link to this month's newsletter from the Counseling Department. Counselors send the email to all families on the first day of every month.

Below are a few reminders:

• The Ignite the Irish Student Fundraiser ends tomorrow, September 13th, at 11:59 p.m. Thank you for your support! If your student is shy of the fundraising goal, please encourage him or her to reach out to an educator. Educators are always eager to help, but few are asked. Thanks again, and Go Irish!
   
• Monday, September 16th, , is the last day to sign up for Sibling Shadow Day. Please click here to register. Sibling Shadow Day is Thursday, September 19th. 
   
• The Counseling Department is offering a series of courses to help our parents and guardians. All of the sessions will be in Cathedral's Dining Hall. If you can't make it to campus, each session will be live-streamed and recorded for your convenience. If you missed Beth Lohman's Back to School Virtual Workshop on August 27th, here is the link to the one-hour presentation. This semester's Cathedral counselor/parent sessions are as follows:

-September 25th -  *6:30 p.m. - 7:15 p.m.* - How Social Media Shapes Our Lives and Mental Health *New Time
 Discover what we are hearing about technology's impact and how it aligns with current research.- Learn to identify signs of technology-related mental health concerns and explore effective treatment options- Whether you are a parent or educator, these strategies can help everyone manage technology use in a healthier way. This flyer includes more details on what to expect during this parents-only session.
-October 9th - 6:00 p.m. - Executive Functioning and Social Skills Coaching with Jean Callaghan-Hoskins (Virtual Session)
-October 14th - Substance Abuse and Vaping (Time to be announced closer to the date)
-November 11th - Coping with Anxiety (Time to be announced closer to the date)

Please be sure to read the entire Parent Newsletter each week. Below is information about a free Youth Theater Workshop, outdoor nativity scene sale, construction updates, Cathedral's Blood Drive, PSAT and SAT Prep classes, the Student Newsletter, Community/Parish Happenings, and more.

"We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28

God bless, and Go Irish!
Julie Barthel
Principal