Columbus St. Francis DeSales High School completed a vocations wall in September that not only honors former students who answered the call to religious life but could serve as inspiration to current students to consider serving the Catholic Church after graduation.
The vocations wall is located outside the school’s chapel and features an interactive display that includes interviews with graduates who have pursued vocations after their years at DeSales.
So far, there are stories on five priests and four deacons. The school is working to schedule a time to talk with another graduate priest who lived out of state but recently moved back to the area after retiring, a religious sister who is an alumnus and a religious brother who is currently in formation at a Benedictine monastery.
“The goal all along was twofold for us,” said Phil Kraker, vice president of operations for the school. “It was to honor those alumni that have gone on to serve our faith in the Church in their various roles and also to inspire more vocations. That is one of the objectives of Bishop (Earl) Fernandes.
“How we evangelize that and bring it to the fore is one of the reasons we chose the interactive execution of it: to be able to interview them, capture the stories of their and how they discerned so that our students, now and in the future, can see that and be inspired.”
Kraker said the vocations wall has been well received by students, visitors, alumni, faculty and staff. Along with the video interviews, there are graphics on the wall with inspirational quotes, photos of priests and deacons and images of the school’s patron, St. Francis de Sales.
“We’ve gotten great feedback from everyone who has seen it,” Kraker said.
Deacon Carl Calcara, who serves at Sunbury St. John Neumann Church, is one of the alumni who pursued a calling in the Church. He returns frequently to assist at school Masses.
“I Joined the DeSales family as a freshman in 1972 and one of my fondest memories was attending Mass as a class,” Deacon Calcara said. “I graduated from DeSales in 1976 and thought I would not be returning to my alma mater.
“I was ordained a deacon in 2008 in the Diocese of Columbus and assigned at St. John Neumann in Sunbury. Now I give back to St. Francis DeSales by assisting at Masses and giving Benediction at the end of their Adoration days.
“As a servant of Christ, I can draw students, faculty, support and administrative closer to Him. I loved attending and now serving at St. Francis DeSales.”
The school hopes that other graduates will follow Deacon Calcara’s path to pursue a life of service to the Church in a religious vocation.
“I definitely think that’s going to happen,” Kraker said. “When I’ve been (at the display) and the kids have gotten curious and I show them a couple of things, they become enthralled and really gravitate to it because I think it speaks to them more on their level and with how their brains work. They can interact with it as opposed to standing there reading it.
“And I think, over time, absolutely that will have an impact. I have no doubt.”
Some of the vocation videos, which can be used on multiple platforms, show pictures of the priest or deacon during his years at DeSales.
“There’s a great picture of (retired) Deacon Mickey Hawkins from (Westerville) St. Paul as a freshman playing football at DeSales,” Kraker said. “And there’s a picture of him and his letter jacket with his brother who went to St. Charles in his letter jacket.
“Things like that really bring their stories to life.”
The project was brought to life through the support and vision of Dan LaVille, a Class of 1969 alumnus, and other donors who contributed to the project.
“He remains close friends with one of our alumni who’s a Holy Cross priest, Father Bill Faiella,” Kraker said. “He had great admiration for him and that was part of his motivation. And it just kind of started snowballing from there.”
More than 30 alumni who were classmates of the priests or deacons made financial contributions. Parishes where alumni are currently serving chipped in with donations, and additional support was provided from the diocese and the Serra Clubs of Columbus.
For those unable to visit the school, the alumni vocations recognition videos can also be viewed on the DeSales website at sfdstallions.org under the News tab.
“These were individuals that walked these halls,” Kraker said. “That’s the thing that’s resonating with kids who don’t think that way. And we have to get them there.”