2024 Catholic Schools Week Supplement
From a beautiful transition to a lasting impact, pastor sings the praises of Catholic education
Father Timothy Wyciskalla enjoys spending time with students at St. Mark the Evangelist School in Indianapolis, giving him the opportunity to talk about God and faith with them. (Submitted photo)
By John Shaughnessy
The transition was quick and beautiful.
At the end of the school Mass, the children who packed the church erupted in a joyous song of praise to God.
Moments later, that burst of joy was followed by a reverent silence as Father Timothy Wyciskalla placed the Eucharist in a monstrance and the children bowed their heads and folded their hands in prayer during this time of adoration.
In a way, that sudden transition captured what Father Wyciskalla considers as the essence of Catholic education—that it is rooted in the Eucharist.
“The benefit of Catholic education is that you have the academic formation, but we can also do spiritual formation—which as Catholics is rooted in the Eucharist. Then what we get is really human formation,” says the pastor of St. Mark the Evangelist Parish in Indianapolis. “That’s the most important part of Catholic schools.
“And if there’s anything a Catholic school can do, teaching the kids devotion to the Eucharist is the most important, especially this year when we’re doing the [National] Eucharistic Congress. It helps teach them, especially the little ones, how sacred it is, how important it is. They’re there in silence, in quiet time with Christ, which I think is great.”
That emphasis on the Eucharist, his appreciation of Catholic schools and his drive to help children draw closer to Christ are among the reasons that the archdiocese’s Office of Catholic Schools has nominated Father Wyciskalla for the National Catholic Educational Association’s highest honor for a pastor—its Lead, Learn, Proclaim Award.
His different ways of connecting with students already make him beloved by St. Mark’s children, according to the school principal, Jen Kocher.
“He goes above and beyond to be present in our school and is a model for how to live your life—to become a ‘superhero saint,’ ” she says. “He volunteered to be a chaperone for our fourth-grade field trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and was the driver for the minibus.
“He often comes to many extracurricular and sporting events to support students and demonstrate for them how to support each other. His value for Catholic education shows in all he does for our students and staff.”
That’s especially true in his spiritual approach to the 525 students at the school, Kocher says.
“Father Tim works closely with the school to teach our students the many ways of practicing and modeling our Catholic faith, such as adoration, Stations of the Cross, praying the rosary and reconciliation,” the principal says. “A perfect example of his leadership is the patience and time he invests in training new [altar] servers for our school and parish Masses.”
He also strives to be there for the school and the parish in heartbreaking times. Last year, three tragedies involved Burmese members of the parish and school community.
“A little boy going from kindergarten to first grade had a drowning accident and passed away. Then a couple of parents died very young of cancer,” Father Wyciskalla recalls.
“To see the way the kids came together to pray for that situation and be there for the two kids who lost their parents—to be an extension of Christ for them—was incredibly powerful.”
That empathy in those tragedies also reflects how the Burmese members have become such an integral part of the parish and the school, the pastor says.
“The school and the parish have been revitalized by the Burmese community,” he says. “They were religious refugees, persecuted for being Catholic or Christian. The parish was very welcoming to them. They were able to find a home where they knew they could send their kids and their faith would be passed on. The faith for so many of them is why they’re here. And we’re so blessed now as well. It really grew the parish—not just with refugees and immigrants from Myanmar, but a vibrant and diverse parish also attracts others as well.”
Father Wyciskalla gives a lot of credit to other people for that growth and for the spirit that exists at St. Mark.
He credits former principal Rusty Albertson for initially welcoming the Burmese families to the school and current principal Kocher and her staff for being the every-day ministers of the faith to the students from all backgrounds. He also praises the impact of associate pastor, Father Hau Hawm “John” Mang, for his ability to speak to adult Burmese parishioners—and share the sacraments with them—in their native language.
At the same time, Father Wyciskalla doesn’t downplay his commitment to Catholic education and the ever-extending ripple effects of its influence.
“Of all the parish ministries—and they’re all important—I really think a Catholic school is the best at getting us our next generation of Catholics because we’re educating them, and we’re also able to give them the fullness of human formation, which includes spiritual formation.
“A strong Catholic school is a strong parish, and it’s also the future of that parish. It’s an incredibly important ministry.” †
