6 minute read
Inspiring Goodness
A Journey of Faith, Resilience, and Giving Back
breakfast conversation with Kathy Lyons leaves you feeling inspired, and wanting to simply do good, without fanfare or recognition. Kathy, an alumni parent to Patrick ’08, Michael ’10, and Margaret ’11, and a member of the School Board, reminds us of St. Francis de Sales’ words, “Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength.” Humble, yet strong in her beliefs and commitment to Catholic education and service, she candidly shared how her passion for helping others came to be, how that translates into the Paul VI experience, and her hopes for the future of PVI.
Kathy embodies resilience. While her memories from PVI often make her smile as she speaks about her husband Tim being on the “chain gang” for PVI football games, and her son Michael being taken under Glenn Farello’s wing as a coach for the basketball team, Kathy also knows loss. Her husband Tim passed away the summer after Margaret’s graduation from PVI, and Michael lost a brave battle to cancer in March 2020. Kathy has turned her loss into something that honors the memory and legacy of her loved ones as she continues to give back to PVI and her community.
You are a passionate supporter of Catholic education. Was there someone in your life who instilled a love of learning in you?
My mother said, “You should always be learning.” My mom used Reader’s Digest as a way for me and my siblings to learn vocabulary and an array of cultural activities to teach history, social studies, and literature while traveling and living internationally. Whether you are stepping outside of your comfort zone to try something new, taking a class, or meeting new people, you need to keep your mind active. It is important that learning is a lifetime pursuit.
How would you describe the experiences your three children had at PVI?
They all experienced the community aspect of PVI— lifelong friends, a family atmosphere and teachers who mentored them— as three unique people in their academic pursuits with diverse interests. Teachers and staff went above and beyond to help them pursue their goals. People such as Frau Joyner, Glenn Farello, Darcee Snider Gamble, and Clarence Boone all supported my children, and me, during tough times. They offered good advice, sometimes as simple as a “don’t worry” from Tom Opfer.
Each of the teachers and staff, in their own way, modeled what a good Christian should be. All three of my children learned how to live their Catholic faith in everyday life. What are your hopes for the future of Catholic education at PVI?
I would like to see Catholic education be affordable for all. It is important to have a varied student body. We don’t want to close doors; we want to open them to those who want to be here. I’d also like everyone to learn how to incorporate God into their everyday lives, not just as a Sunday obligation.
What advice would you give to our students and their parents?
Slow down! See God in everyday things. Ask God for help with practical things – help to study, working out a dispute with a friend, playing in your sporting event, or performing at your concert.
I share the same advice with parents. If you don’t have Him in the little things, you can’t have Him in the big things.
Michael coached JV Basketball at PVI and impacted the lives of many players in doing so. What did Michael love most about this role?
Michael loved working with young student-athletes. Coach Farello mentored Michael, and became a father figure after my husband died. Michael wanted to “pay it forward” by not just teaching the students basketball, but ensuring they were good students and good people. He wanted the players to know he would always support them, the same way he had been supported. Particularly as a JV coach, he recognized he was teaching the students as much about life as he was about basketball. That is one reason we started the Michael T. Lyons Foundation in his name – to assist young studentathletes in learning the same life lessons my children did through sports.
We ask our PVI community to give of their time, talents, and through financial gifts. In addition to your support of the Fund for Paul VI and the Building on Extraordinary campaign, you give of your time on committees and the School Board. What does giving back in these capacities mean to you?
“To whom much is given, much is expected.” I was taught this at a young age, to give back to your community and to share your time, talents, and treasures. Everyone has God-given talents that we should share. You don’t always know who you are helping.”
—While Kathy and her family have chosen to give back to PVI in many ways, her words and wisdom leave the greatest impression. From her travels, her knowledge gained from her mother’s Reader’s Digest “curriculum,” to her love of family and quest to see God in all things—from the joyful to the challenging—Kathy reminds us that our lifelong learning extends beyond the classrooms and boundaries of our campus. Her example propels us to do good, often for those we will never meet.
“The Lyons family is very special to me. Kathy and Tim welcomed me into the PVI community with open arms as I began my journey here at PVI. They are a strong, loyal, selfless family and PVI is lucky to call them one of our own. And what Kathy, Margaret and Patrick have done to help kids through the Michael T. Lyons Foundation is inspirational.
When I get a chance to speak about Michael, I do so with immense pride as I tell stories of how he impacted so many of our players with his words of encouragement or holding players accountable, and using basketball as a tool to teach about life. Michael exuded passion and enthusiasm and was a natural leader, as a captain for us in 2010 and as a JV Head Coach. I miss him every day.”
