If you grew up in a Catholic grade school, you know just how important sports are to the children who attend. Not only do sports provide the chance to be more active after being in school all day, but they provide that sense of belonging. You are a part of something bigger than yourself, you belong to a team in which every person plays a role. Within sports you can find a sense of self, friendship, and teamwork. 

As an athletic director who oversees all of the MTCA schools, I have seen firsthand how sports have made an impact on our students. I’ve seen shy, timid children flourish into communicative athletes. I’ve seen new students to our schools join sports teams and make many lifelong friends after just one season. Sports are not only great ways to learn how to be a part of a team, but they also give children a chance to show leadership. There are always going to be those children who prefer to stand back and let others take charge, but sports are a way for those leaders to really shine and show how they can positively impact their teams. 

As a former gym teacher, I am so passionate about sports and their opportunity to provide some physical activity. During the school day, it is hard for students to get the recommended time of exercise, which is 60 minutes per day. Now, I know that may seem like a lot, but if you have ever been a teacher or a parent, you know how necessary it is. Because children are not always able to get those 60 minutes of exercise during the day, participating in sports after school hours can help. Exercise is so important for children of any age in order to provide a heathy lifestyle!

At the beginning of every school year, I am always asked when sports are beginning, which shows just how important sports teams are to our MTCA students. If you would like to become a part of making a difference in our students lives through sports, coaching is a great way to get involved! As our MTCA schools are somewhat smaller, we are always looking for help with coaching-especially for our intramural basketball and soccer teams. If you are interested in helping coach at any of our schools, please reach out to me personally at edeubelbeiss@stphilipindy.org. We thank you in advance! 

The onset of a new school year comes with many new delights. With the start of the 2023-24 school year, Mrs. Kelly England, principal of St. Philip Neri (SPN), was delighted to welcome to her staff four familiar faces - faces of former students of Mrs. England. Three of these new teachers are graduates of MTCA schools. 

Daisy and Evelyn Garcia are sisters who attended SPN before transferring to, and graduating from, Central Catholic. Chelsea Garcia also attended and graduated from Central Catholic. They were all students while Kelly England was the principal at Central Catholic from 2013-2017. Jack McLaughlin attended Holy Spirit where Mrs. England was his Third-Grade teacher. 

These young teachers are all excited about the opportunity to reconnect with Mrs. England and teach in an MTCA school. They saw the value in their own Catholic education and wish to share that with their students in a faith-based environment. Jack McLaughlin said about being at an MTCA school, “I love the environment, the kids, and the people I work with. It feels like home to me.”

When Chelsea Garcia was asked what drew her to an MTCA school, she responded, “I took the values I learned at an MTCA school throughout my time in high school. It was faith-based education, and it was something that could be applied to my everyday life in and outside of school. Living God’s greatest Commandment, and now I want to teach others the same things…it’s a great place to be!”

Central Catholic 1st grade students connected lessons on citizenship to the MTCA motto, "Be the Change", by discussing national, state, city, and school leaders, and the good changes they can make in their communities.

Join us on February 9 for the fourth annual Archdiocese of Indianapolis Legacy Gala benefitting Catholic Charities, Catholic Schools and Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary.

As Catholics, the ultimate goal we strive for is to one day enjoy the rewards of eternal life with our Creator.  We do our best to live lives of faith and fidelity worthy of spending eternity with God. While the length of eternity is hard for our human minds to grasp, we most likely define it as “forever.”

At the Catholic Community Foundation, we manage more than 500 individual endowment funds that benefit organizations from parishes, schools and Archdiocesan ministries to scholarships, cemeteries and even sister parishes in third-world countries.   Endowment funds are permanent, meaning they last into perpetuity.  The corpus of the fund is never touched, only the interest is distributed to Catholic organizations so the fund continues to grow year after year.  In other words, they last forever. That’s why our slogan is “For God. For Others. Forever.”

Establishing an endowment fund with the Catholic Community Foundation allows you to impact the Catholic ministry of your choice today with an annual distribution as well as tomorrow, and for every year thereafter.  What greater philanthropic gift can there be than to support a Catholic entity literally forever?

If you would like more information on endowment funds at the Catholic Community Foundation, please contact us at ccf@archindy.org or call 317-236-1482.

St. Philip Neri