Hope. Hope was the word that kept coming to mind. I don’t know if it was because this year’s theme for the Diocese of Birmingham Catholic schools is “Anchored in Hope,” or the opening day at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School happened to be the Feast of the Transfiguration (a glimpse of our future hope), but when I looked at the thirteen students sitting reverently (and mostly still) in the pews of St. Thomas as the day ended with Mass, I was filled with hope—hope for the future of those thirteen kids and their families who will be transformed by Catholic education, hope for the future of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish and School, hope for the impact this faith community will have on the larger Montevallo area, and as the first school to open in our diocese in 25 years, hope for Catholic education.

For those thirteen kids and their families, it wasn’t the first time they’d gone to St. Thomas; currently all of them are parishioners. But it was the first time those parents dropped off their children as students of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School, and the first time the kids wore their school uniforms—beautiful bright (and clean for now) red polos; shorts for the boys, red and blue plaid skirts for the girls. As a parent myself, I am confident that the parents were filled with hope—thinking about the knowledge and skills their children will learn, the lifelong friendships they’ll form, and most importantly, their relationship with our Lord that will be strengthened through faith formation and sacramental prep. (This year, the school intentionally started with kindergarten through 2nd grade.)

After Mass, there was a group photo taken on the steps in front of the altar. There was a flurry of hopeful parents taking pictures, which reminded me of something akin to a high school commencement photo, and in many ways, it was a commencement, the start of a new journey that is St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School. As you might imagine, there is risk involved in starting anything new, especially a new school. As of now, St. Thomas doesn’t have a stand-alone building dedicated exclusively to the school; it also can’t have all the offerings of a larger, established school. But these thirteen families of St. Thomas parish were willing to embark on this wonderful journey and be part of building something, not only for their own children, but for future generations to come.

The Catholic Schools Office staff was later given a tour of the school, which is currently housed in a wing of the religious education building, by Father Brad Jantz, pastor, and Michael Fisher, principal. Each classroom was fully equipped, thanks in large part to generous donors and other Catholic schools in our diocese, as far away as Huntsville, and even non-Catholic schools in the area. During the tour, we heard from each classroom teacher, and it was clear that they were just as enthused as the students. The teachers described the details of their first day, including one who said that the class read the book, First Day Jitters. That particular teacher even brought “jitter juice” (repurposed apple juice) to help the kids get past their nerves (it’s unclear, prior to the kids’ arrival, whether Fisher and the staff partook of the juice for similar reasons).

Beyond the hopeful occasion for the families and their students, Father Jantz put the opening of the school into a larger perspective. “This is one of the most important days in the history of our parish,” he said. As early as the 1980’s, he said that the parish hoped to build a school, and three years ago, those plans were put in motion. He is excited about the momentum and buzz surrounding the school’s opening in the parish. There are already promised registrations for kindergarten for next year and expressed interest in a pre-K program. Father Jantz invited us back to his office and discussed long-term plans for the parish and the school to expand; he proudly displayed rudimentary drawings that showed a new sanctuary as well as a new school building.

Even beyond the parish, the opening of St. Thomas school, which currently is the only non-public school in Montevallo, holds promise as an alternative educational option for families there, as well as a witness of our faith to the surrounding area, which is one of the fastest growing areas in the state. 

With several consecutive years of increased enrollment in Catholic schools across our diocese, as well as increased opportunity for financial assistance through the CHOOSE Act, there is hope that not only will there be more students in our existing Catholic schools but that St. Thomas may be the first of several in coming years to open their doors to families who desire a Catholic education. 

I feel blessed to have witnessed the opening day of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School. There were certainly many ways in which the staff of the Catholic Schools Office could have spent the day, but I can’t think of a better way than for the superintendent, the curriculum coordinator, and me to have joined the St. Thomas school community in their opening Mass and be a witness to the hope of our faith. Much like St. Peter’s sentiment to our Savior at His Transfiguration expressed in the Gospel reading for that day, it was good that we were there.

For more information about St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School, please check out their website, www.stthomascatholic.com/school, or call the school office at 205.358.1976.