Holy Angels School celebrates 100 years of Catholic education
Smiles mark the celebration at Holy Angels School for its 100th anniversary. Student Mya Terrell, left, poses with the school’s campus director, Michael Joseph, and principal, Cindy Greer.
By John Shaughnessy
When a Catholic school celebrates 100 years of educating young people, there are thousands of stories that could be told of how that school has changed the life of a child.
As Holy Angels School in Indianapolis prepares to mark its 100th anniversary, Father Kenneth Taylor shares the story of a young boy growing up in a time of change, conflict and turmoil in American society.
“I’m a graduate of Holy Angels, in 1965,” Father Taylor recalls. “The civil rights movement was under way then. I saw how the Church was important in that, and it steered me to the seminary. I got a love and a commitment to the Church here. I always saw the Church as important in the lives of people.”
Forty-two years later, Holy Angels School is having a similar impact on 11-year-old Mya Terrell, a sixth-grade student.
“The teachers are very nice,” Mya says. “They’ll help you if you have a problem. I love helping people, too. I want to be a doctor. I think a lot of people in the world need to be helped.”
That tradition of caring educators who teach children to care about others is one of the hallmarks of Holy Angels School that will be celebrated on Sept. 28-30. So will the tradition of providing a Catholic education that makes a difference in the lives of children.
“It marks an achievement that the parish has been able to provide Catholic education all these years, especially when you think about the changes in the city and the demographics of this area,” says Father Taylor, who is now the pastor of Holy Angels Parish.
“The parish started in 1903 and the school started in 1907. When the school started, this area was basically suburban Indianapolis. After World War II, the population of the parish became more African-American, and it still is. Today, the school is predominantly non-Catholic. Families still come here today because they know the value of a Catholic education.”
Enrollment has increased from
102 students last year to 135 students this year, according to Holy Angels principal Cindy Greer.
“We have children from preschool to sixth grade,” Greer says. “Our goal is to offer them a quality education in a faith-based environment. We would like to prepare them for whatever they want to accomplish in their lives. We’re definitely trying to get our children to think about college and what doors that would open for them.”
Mya has that dream. She also has a smile that glows when she talks about the role that Holy Angels has played in her life and the life of her family.
“For me, it’s a family school,” she says. “My mother went here, my aunts went here and my brother graduated from here two years ago. A lot of my family went here. It makes me feel proud. I have a reputation to keep.”
So does Holy Angels as a school. Father Taylor recalls one of the great chapters in the history of the school, which is located at 2822 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St.
“In 1999, we built a new school building so we could continue that ministry,” he says. “At the time, it was the first inner-city Catholic school built new, from the ground up, in more than 40 years. That was a remarkable accomplishment.”
Eight years later, the school building still looks beautiful. After a century, Holy Angels School continues to make a difference. It’s all part of the many reasons to celebrate, Father Taylor says.
“Today, we’re still important in providing a good, solid education based on Catholic values,” he says. “The community sees that need. They see so much wrong in society today. We’re here to provide spiritual values and the community sees the value of that.” †
