By Casey Bassett
There’s a quiet, yet powerful renewal happening in our Catholic schools throughout the diocese. From Aberdeen to Yankton to Pierre and everywhere in between, Catholic education has begun to look, well…more Catholic.
Starting curriculum from a uniquely Catholic worldview, emphasizing the Catholic intellectual tradition of wonder, ponderment and imagination are just some of the beautiful changes unfolding across the schools in our diocese. Catholic liberal education seeks to embrace the full picture of the human person, forming students in everything from mathematics to virtues and the spiritual life while grounding all of it in our faith and the beautiful truths of God’s creation.
With so much focus on the future, it might be good to take a moment to reflect on the past. Dakota Territory was a relatively wild and sparsely populated area when it was named in 1861. The first parochial school wasn’t established until 1881 in Yankton by the Sisters of Mercy. It was followed by Sacred Heart School several years later.
From there, schools were established in various parishes, sometimes upstairs, sometimes in a shack outside. Yet, despite the variances in accommodations, there were several consistencies in those early days that formed the bedrock for Catholic education today.
Benedictine sisters traveled from Yankton to parts as far as Webster and beyond to teach eager youth in makeshift schools. These same sisters still call Yankton and Watertown home. Concurrently, Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary were busy in the Aberdeen area and other parts establishing schools and teaching young pupils in a uniquely Catholic setting on the open prairie. Today, the Presentation Sisters are an anchor of the Aberdeen community.
These two orders of sisters played a vital role in establishing Catholic schools as a mainstay of education in the Diocese of Sioux Falls. Later, schools like St. Mary in Dell Rapids would grow from elementary schools into middle and high schools, all the while keeping their roots firmly planted in the Catholic faith and rural life.
Bishops like Bishop O’Gorman, who remains the namesake of O’Gorman Catholic schools in Sioux Falls, played key roles in organizing support and recruiting students and teachers for schools that are still thriving today. Through difficulties and prosperity, tough decisions and celebration, Catholic education grew and continues to grow with the bishops at the helm of our diocese.
And now, here we are today, looking to the future of Catholic education in our diocese with bold optimism as we reflect on the rich history. Courageous teachers and principals walk the halls of our Catholic schools, facing the difficulty of teaching the truths of the faith in a society that favors radical secularism in education. Yet, they need only look to their students to find their name etched in hearts and memory, shaping generations of Catholics to come.
Throughout the upcoming year in The Bishop’s Bulletin, we’ll feature stories and people who make our Catholic schools great. We hope you’ll learn their stories and support their work in moulding our children into lifelong catholic missionary disciples.
Learn more about our Catholic schools and the renewal at sfcatholic.org/catholic-schools.
