Faribault Daily News Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015
Faribault Bethlehem Academy 150th Anniversary
A message from Tom Donlon
Welcome to 150 years of Bethlehem Academy The reality that Bethlehem Academy is 150 years old today is a bold testament to the profound commitment the Faribault community has made to Catholic education. We have reason alone to celebrate at BA for simply “making it” or having survived for 150 years. There were countless times throughout our history, very difficult times when we were happy to have indeed survived to the end of a year. Our history is complete with stories of
people who acted with courage in the face of fear, chose hope against despair, and lived faithfully to the mission when others gave up. These stories speak to transitional moments that made a significant difference. However, what we celebrate today is far beyond mere survival. Rather, the history of BA is one about family, community, and opportunity. We regard the success of BA from the distinct vantage point of being filled with profound grati-
tude for our family legacy. We haven’t merely survived the years, but we have thrived and continue to prosper toward an optimistic future. We know well and acclaim the certainty of God’s Providence, which has sustained and provided for us a living heritage of Catholic education in Faribault, this past century and a half. On behalf of the Congregation of Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters, the Bethlehem Board of Directors, the Faculty
and Staff, it is my honor and privilege to welcome all who come to attend this event, “A Family Reunion.” It is on their behalf that I offer our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the wonderful Faribault community with whom we celebrate — we couldn’t have do it without everyone. Happy 150 Anniversary Bethlehem Academy. Veritas. Tom Donlon is the president and principal of Bethlehem Academy.
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BETHLEHEM ACADEMY ANNIVERSARY
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Bethlehem Academy of the future: Holistic liberal arts with a focus on critical thinking No one can fully predict what the Bethlehem Academy class of 2165 may look like. But there are already discussions going on at the school about how BA can anticipate those students’ needs. “We need to make sure that we focus on liberal arts, but we also need to be really mindful of what the workforce will look like,” said Tom Donlon, principal and president of BA. To Donlon that means all the trappings of a well-rounded education: History, language, arts, science and the core subjects. But it also means changing a philosophical viewpoint, one that has already been expressed with regard to the millennial generation. The American Psychological Association compiled the results of a group of studies done on how Generation Y — also known as millennial — learns, and several common themes arose. They will engage more if multimedia tools are used, if the setting is more relaxed, if the education is relevant to life outside the classroom and if the teacher is
aggressive in exploring new modes for teaching. “Instead of asking ‘Why can’t they be more like us’ education has to say ‘How can we be more like them?’” Donlon said. To that end, BA has been ahead of the game in looking to the future. For a decade now, the school has distributed laptops to its students. That’s a concept that is just now gaining steam in public schools. Millennials also see technology as a solution to world problems not the cause. That’s in sharp contrast to earlier generations — witness the number of memes, blogs and articles you see about rejecting technology for more “face to face” communication. It shouldn’t be that black and white, Donlon argues. Donlon also suggests that today’s students are more mature than in generations past, and that they understand the learning process. So, they can be more like partners in directing the learning that happens in the classroom rather than passive receptors of it.
Bethlehem Academy students focus on learning that will enhance their communities. (Daily News file photo)
“The challenge now for teachers is to find ways to become more engaged with their students without feeling like you have to know it all or be it all,” he said. With all the technological know-how of the millennial generation comes a natural inclination to shy away from faith. Studies have shown that while today’s young people are spiritual, they’re
more likely to create their own networks rather than join a church in the traditional sense. Donlon acknowledges this challenge in BA’s future. “But technology increases doesn’t mean that God has disappeared,” he said. He seeks to tie faith and reason together in his school, and wants to fol-
low the example of the Holy Father, Pope Francis. The pope has focused on exhorting others to find God through service and social justice, two topics that resonate heavily with millennials. “We don’t read the scripture literally,” he said. “I tell the kids, ‘You don’t walk into the library and read every book the same way. There’s an approach, a context.” Donlon is talking about a faith experience for young learners that follows in the footsteps of another Dominican, St. Thomas Aquinas, who wrote extensively on the philosophy that since both faith and reason come from God, they can — and should — work in collaboration. In an era where fundamentalism in the extreme is on the rise, it is a tough road for both teacher and student. Donlon said he had a conversation with a student wherein the student said that if God was responsible for so and so, then he didn’t want to believe. “And I said ‘I don’t believe in that God, either’,” Donlon said. “It has to be well-reasoned faith. And that’s tough stuff.”
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Without a home, sisters name their school for Bethlehem By JESSICA TRYGSTAD
, n h t
Special to the Daily News
Reprinted with permission of Bethlehem Academy, from the Catholic Spirit What started as an all-girls academy on July 31, 1865, with just a small house, a cow and a piano, flourished into the sixth- through 12th-grade Catholic school in the heart of Faribault. The structure, animal and instrument were all that the five Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters had to start Bethlehem Academy, said Tom Donlon, the school’s president and principal. Bishop Thomas Grace of St. Paul had received word from Father George Keller, pastor of Immaculate Conception in Faribault, that a mother’s dying wish was for her daughter to receive a Catholic education like her son. As a Dominican himself, Bishop Grace contacted Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, founder of the congregation of Dominican Sisters based in Wisconsin, to have them start a school to fulfill Catherine Murphy’s request.
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e h Daily News file photo
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Bishop Grace sent the right man, as Father Mazzuchelli developed a rigorous curriculum for girls. “It wasn’t meant to be a finishing school, per se. It was really meant to be a school leading in the sciences and mathematics,” Donlon said. Coming from a large wealthy family in Milan, Italy, Father Mazzuchelli was known for his support of women’s education. Donlon said there’s one account of Father Mazzuchelli receiving a letter from some religious sisters saying that instead of teaching, they were serving priests. So he picked them up on a carriage and brought them to Benton, Wisconsin, where they could better use their skills. Each fall, Bethlehem Academy celebrates Founder’s Day, embracing not only Father Mazzuchelli’s dedication, but also his practice of daily prayer. Although lay instructors began teaching at the school in the 1960s, three Sinsinawa Sisters remain on Bethlehem Academy’s staff. Donlon said the school’s connection to the community is strong; seniors go on retreat to the mother house in Wis-
consin, and the order retains its governance structure over the school. Donlon said four pillars guide the school community in “Catholicity” and the Dominican charism: prayer/ contemplation, preaching/service, community and study. Students in theology class spend 20 minutes a day in a eucharistic adoration chapel. “We don’t know who we are until we spend time in front of Christ to learn who we are,” Donlon said, adding that weekly Mass and regular opportunities for reconciliation are experiences that form the community. “The participation in that sacramental life is our lifeblood.” Current sophomore Breanna DeGrood said it’s her time in the adoration chapel when she feels most at peace during an otherwise hectic school day. She said what’s great about Bethlehem Academy’s student body is its acceptance and welcoming of new students. “We’re open to new people and love seeing people from other cultures, because we learn from them,” she said.
To create an authentic, impactful Catholic environment, Donlon said it’s essential that “Jesus Christ is the head of the school.” “It’s easy for us as humans to put ourselves first,” he said. “But the most important part, which is that Dominican charism, is contemplation — taking time each day to contemplate God’s will; contemplating the spiritual, but also the mysteries of the world. All that inspiration is under truth. [The school is] such a great place to be. It’s just wanting others to share in it, and keeping it financially affordable.” Now educating female and male students, Donlon said the school takes to heart Father Mazzuchelli’s approach to provide students with what will most shape them as individuals. “The value and experience of being at BA forms your character as such that that’s the most important piece — where we can be involved in that part of your life and in the choices you make,” Donlon said. No matter what vocation students choose, they need a core foundation, he added.
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BETHLEHEM ACADEMY ANNIVERSARY
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Bethlehem Academy alumni share memories on Facebook Facebook is the stuff of recollection, for dusting off old photos and stories and reconnecting with those lost to time passing. For the alumni of Bethlehem Academy, the memories page is a great place to find friends new and old and to virtually relive history. This weekend’s reunion is the not BA’s first. Here’s a couple from past gatherings.The Cardinal Cafe on the Rice County fairgrounds has been a strong fund-raiser for the school for many years. Of course, one of the mainstays over the years at BA has been the Dominican sisters. Facebook poster Mitch Anderson said “I will never forget Sr. Julie gently telling me that art was not something I should focus on for my future. Great ladies that truly cared about us and our education.” Extracurricular activities have clearly changed a bit. No school history is complete without its “lunch ladies.” Donna Slinger saw her mom, Catherine Culhane, on one of the Facebook photos, while Tim Donahue said “Mrs. Culhane was awesome!” There have been many, many changes to classrooms, but little has changed in what goes on in them. Two commenters noted the chemistry rooms hadn’t changed much between the years ties were required on young men and as late as the 90’s. Here’s the class of 1955, according to Facebook poster Lois Hewitt. One of the commencement traditions at BA is the Baccalaureate Mass. Another is prom. Gloria DubanReuvers noted on this picture of her that “31 years later I’m sending my youngest off to the same prom!” And of course, BA has a strong tradition of athletics.
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BETHLEHEM ACADEMY ANNIVERSARY
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Bethlehem Academy’s 150th anniversary celebration schedule of events “A Family Reunion” will be held Aug. 9 a.m. & 11 a.m. — BA Student Art 7-9. Walk-in registrations are welcome. Exhibit, Paradise Theater for the Arts. Enjoy rolls, coffee and juice and meet Friday, Aug. 7 BA art students and see their work. 11:30 a.m. — Video, “BA Through 8 a.m.–5 p.m. — Golf Tournament, Faribault Golf and Country Club. Two the Years”, Village Theatre. BA sisters shotgun starts, one at 8 a.m. and the other at 1 p.m. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. for both people who are arriving and those who are finishing up and leaving. 3 p.m. — 6 p.m. — Registration, Bethlehem Academy. School open for registration and tours. 6 p.m. — Formal Welcome Dinner, BA cafeteria. Catered by Marlene Gustafson, ’58, of Gustafson Catering. Sister Kate Theis, BA’s long-time president/ principal, is the keynote speaker. 8 p.m.- 11 p.m. — Second Prom, Van Orsow auditorium. Open to the public. $10 per person.
Hannah and Heather Thompson are produced a one-hour video that takes the viewer through the decades leading up to the present day on the big screen. 2 p.m. — Welcome Program, Van Orsow auditorium. Combine the past
with the present, recognizing members of all classes in attendance and honoring present and past faculty and staff. There will be a recap of the last 10 years, a full history display, along with performances from an alumni
choir and band. 3 p.m.-6:30 p.m.--BA ‘Back 40’ Reunions, south side of BA. Interact and reconnect with classmates and visit with former students of other years, parents, neighbors, etc. There will be tents for each decade and a game area for kids and adults. Burgers, pizza, hot dogs, brats, etc. will be available for purchase from 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. 7 p.m.-??? — Bonfire and Fireworks, Derham Farm 24141 Bagley Ave. Visit, dance, and enjoy a bonfire and fireworks in a beautiful rural setting. Sunday, Aug. 9 11:15 a.m. — Mass, Van Orsow auditorium. Sister Mary Ellen Gevelinger, Prioress of the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation, will be with us to deliver a message during the Mass, with BA alumnus Father Michael Winkels presiding. Alumni Priests, Brothers and Sisters will be recognized. 12:30 p.m. — BA ‘Back 40’ Picnic, south side of BA. Free picnic, providing an opportunity for fellowship and to say good-byes.
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