On Sunday, May 22, Holy Spirit Catholic School in Tuscaloosa celebrated 28 seniors with a Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement. The Mass was celebrated by Msgr. Michael Deering, pastor of Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Superintendent Margaret Dubose, Elementary Principal Josh Saibini, and Middle/High School Principal Jonathan Loper conducted the commencement ceremony. Holy Spirit’s 28 graduates are: Amaya Charnisse Barnes, Samuel McPheron Blakeney, Jacob Le Bui, Garrett Martin Cron, Anthony Sidd Davis, Colin Alexander DeLoach, Kelsey Paige Ewart, Cailyn Elizabeth Garrett, Michiah Kelise Gill, David Lan Dezhao Holman, Austin Edward Johnson, Claire Anne Laubenthal, Madalyn Claire Mitchell, Alexander Clark Pilkinton, Hayden Irion Pilkinton, Ziona Princess Pruitt, Kathryn Ann Rainey, Jack Michael Reilly, Elaina Louise Russell, Marianna Lindsey Sellers, Lola Catherine Shields, Katherine Lee Smith, Dylan Scott Taylor, Carley Elizabeth Thompson, Gabrielle Gi’tina Walker, Olivia Taylor Watkins, Allison Marie Williams, and Garrett Dan Wilson.

Usually celebrated on a Saturday afternoon, Holy Spirit’s graduation was preemptively moved to Sunday afternoon months in advance in anticipation of four senior softball players playing in the state championship tournament. Holy Spirit Softball, led by seniors Claire Laubenthal, Elaina Russell, Marianna Sellers, and Olivia Watkins and coached by Jeff Laubenthal, won the 1A Softball State Championship on Saturday, May 21, the original date for graduation!

After winning a state championship on Saturday, salutatorian Elaina Russell and valedictorian Claire Laubenthal gave their speeches at Sunday’s graduation.

In addition to the softball state championship, Holy Spirit Women’s Track and Field, coached by Tracey Raines, won the 1A State Championship led by seniors Claire Laubenthal, Hayden Pilkinton, and Olivia Watkins, who won gold in the individual 400 meter.

Twenty-two of the twenty-eight seniors received scholarship offers from universities around the country with 20 receiveing multiple offers. As of May, the Class of 2022 amassed $2,218,336 in total scholarship offers.

David Holman, Claire Laubenthal, Alexander Pilkinton, Hayden Pilkinton, Elaina Russell, Marianna Sellers, Lola Shields, Carley Thompson, Olivia Watkins, and Allison Williams are honor graduates with GPAs over 4.0. Five are members of the National Latin Honor Society, eleven are members of Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica, twelve are members of Mu Alpha Theta, and eighteen are members of the Bishop David Foley Chapter of the National Honor Society. The Bishop’s Trophy was awarded to Claire Laubenthal.