Students at St. Thomas School share an embrace while St. Thomas Aquinas Church sits just beyond.
By Heidi Comes
Change happens slowly. In a world where everyone wants to see success after just minutes of effort, it can be a real test of our virtue to remain in the moment and patiently await God’s timing. But if our rich Catholic faith and tradition teach us anything, it is that time, along with prayer and faithfulness, strengthens the beauty of our belief.
In education, success is most often measured by performance, typically on standardized tests. And while academic achievement is a major component of education, the mind is only one part of the human in need of development. For St. Thomas School in Madison, the goal is higher, as stated on their school webpage: “Steadfast in faith, we aim for children to reach their full potential in body, mind, heart and spirit.” And because of that, they are experiencing a new kind of success. This kind of success is not measured by test scores, but in the lives being transformed, most notably in the nine students who will be entering the Church.
God is at work here
When visiting the school, now in its 97th year, you will see and hear all the familiar sights and sounds typically associated with an elementary school: classrooms of eager students learning mathematics and language arts, voices of teachers offering instruction and guidance, and, if you listen intently, you may even hear the soft giggles of friendship forming. Yet it is not these familiar qualities that ultimately set St. Thomas School apart.
Upon entering the building, it is the gentle yet profound awareness that God is at work here, in the people, the routines and the care given to each child. This reality is something Principal Ahnna Kleinschmidt prays for regularly.
“My daily prayer is that every person who walks through our doors, no matter their spiritual background, encounters the joy that comes from knowing and loving the Lord,” Ahnna said.
In her two short years as principal, Ahnna has intentionally shaped a culture where families and students feel genuinely welcome and where the school’s mission remains unmistakably clear. The school staff, under her leadership, has renewed its commitment to offer a Christ-centered learning environment in which all are invited to encounter the love of Christ and discover the dignity of every human being.
Ahnna stepped into her role aware of the many areas that needed immediate attention but approached the work with patience, prayer and deep trust in God’s guidance. That foundation shapes her leadership.
“Each day at St. Thomas is rooted in prayer through adoration, Mass and time spent teaching religion, and that rhythm has been one of God’s greatest gifts to me,” Ahnna said. “Leading in a Catholic school means I am constantly reminded where my strength comes from. Some days, I find myself asking God for greater patience and trust, but I know who I can lean on.”
This God-given strength and confidence allow her steady and enthusiastic leadership to provide both direction and encouragement to her dedicated staff. Together, they serve the school with a faithful sense of purpose and unity.
Faithfulness over numbers
Like many parish schools across the region, St. Thomas School has faced the ongoing challenge of sustaining and growing enrollment. While growth in numbers remains an important goal, Ahnna has approached this reality differently, and one could even say cheerfully. She recognized that focusing solely on enrollment risked overlooking other opportunities for growth, the ones not measured by numbers alone.
“From the first day on the job, I felt strongly that it is better to nurture a strong, faith-filled community where our Catholic identity is evident than to water down who we are in order to come off as more appealing,” Ahnna said. “Growth matters, but faithfulness matters more.”
Under her guidance, the school has intentionally prioritized building authentic relationships among students, parents and the wider community, always with the ultimate goal of drawing hearts closer to Christ. By opening its doors more fully and stepping outward into the community, St. Thomas School has found that its mission, rooted in the love of Christ, speaks powerfully for itself.
“There is something beautiful about Catholic education,” Ahnna said. “Hearing students pray over their struggles, call upon the saints, offer prayer intentions for classmates and their families, and recognize virtuous behavior in one another is not something you encounter everywhere. That culture does not happen because of one person; it happens because of the teachers who model the Gospel daily and parents who support and encourage faith at home.”
Space for wonder and curiosity
Bringing others alongside this vision has been crucial. Liz Gors, the director of discipleship and evangelization for the Holy Family Pastorate in which the school resides, works closely with Ahnna and the St. Thomas School kids. She shares the staff’s desire for this parish school to flourish. Liz recently implemented the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS), a Montessori-based approach to faith formation, in both the school and parish faith formation programs. CGS invites children to encounter Holy Scripture and the liturgy through prayerful, hands-on reflection. Liz had experienced the beauty of CGS in other parishes and prayerfully decided to commit time to be trained in the program herself.
“I believe children already have this natural capacity for prayer and relationship with God,” Liz said. “What the atrium does is give the child the time and space to ponder and wonder who this God is to them. The atrium doesn’t create this faith that they already have, it nurtures it and deepens it through Scripture and hands-on work.”
In a beautiful partnership, Ahnna and Liz found a space within the school building where the atrium could be set up. This required the sharing of spaces and a collaborative spirit to allow students to be formed as intended. While the program is still in its infancy, there is great excitement and hope in the fruit that will arise from its tender nurturing. Liz understands her role to be one of guidance, not instruction.
“The children end up taking on the faith as their own once they are given that opportunity to encounter him through the Scriptures,” Liz said. “They find Jesus as a friend who cares for them and will lead them. The idea of memorizing and responding to a teacher goes away, and they learn to respond to who Jesus is.”
Even before this curriculum has had time to fully take root, St. Thomas students are already leaning into the faith in remarkable ways. It was both surprising and yet deeply understandable when nine students recently expressed interest in joining the Church, not at the prompting of their parents, but from a desire that arose within their own hearts.
“The first stirring came from a fifth-grade student who persistently shared her desire to receive the sacraments,” Ahnna recalls. “Shortly after, a fourth-grade student overheard our conversation and quietly shared that the same desire had been on her heart. From there, the Lord continued to move in unique ways.”
Living witnesses of God’s grace
Encountering the love of Christ woven throughout each school day has awakened in them a hunger for something more. This longing reflects the quiet and persistent work of the Holy Spirit, made visible through the witness of teachers, classmates and volunteers who embody the beauty of the Catholic faith.
While it is more common for parents to initiate such a journey for their children, this moment stands apart as something both rare and beautiful. It is the selfless choice of parents to entrust their children to St. Thomas School, combined with the students’ own curiosity and openness to grace, that has led to this profound and life-shaping decision. For Ahnna, it has been the response of the families that has been especially grace-filled.
“What has been most moving is witnessing how open our families have been,” she said. “Parents have thoughtfully followed their children’s desires, asking questions, seeking guidance and supporting them.”
Because of the uniqueness of the situation, it was important to bring everyone onto the same page moving forward. While it is admirable for a child to desire the sacraments, that desire must be accompanied by a clear understanding of how the journey will unfold and what will be asked of each student and family. Parents and students came together with school and parish leadership to prayerfully discuss the best path forward for each child.
A community bearing fruit
Though the formal process will vary slightly from student to student, the outcome and the joy shared by the school and parish community remain the same. Ahnna explains, “We will celebrate these students at a school Mass surrounded by their classmates, teachers and families. It will be a beautiful reminder that this is not an individual milestone, but a moment of love and support for our entire school and parish community.”
Change, especially of this magnitude, often unfolds quietly and slowly, and the faith taking root in these students is no exception. Rather than rushing toward outcomes, St. Thomas School has chosen the slower, more faithful path. It is one marked by discernment, accompaniment and trust in God’s timing. This team effort is not lost on Ahnna.
“We are blessed with an incredible staff who witness the Gospel every single day,” she said. “Their steady faithfulness creates an environment where students feel safe asking big spiritual questions. This movement of grace is not the work of one person; it is the fruit of a community rooted in trust.”
What began as a simple decision by parents to choose a Catholic education has grown, through daily witness and patient formation, into a genuine desire for Christ within the hearts of these students. Their journey serves as a reminder that lasting transformation is rarely immediate, but when nurtured with care and love, it bears fruit far beyond what can be measured in a single moment. “Patience is key,” Liz reflects. “Peak their curiosity about who Jesus is, then slowly watch the Spirit move within them. Similar to the parable of the mustard seed, it starts off so small, but as they grow, their faith becomes the biggest of all the trees.”
