By David Myers

Southwest Kansas Register

ELLINWOOD – It may have been just as sunny that day back in 1885, when members of the Ellinwood community came together by horse and wagon from across the Kansas prairie to celebrate the opening of their new Catholic school, St. Joseph.

They may have celebrated with a Mass, perhaps a dinner and a tour of their new school -- German-speaking parents trailing behind their excited children -- but the one thing they couldn’t have had was the knowledge that 120 years later, they would be celebrated for their devotion, faith and hard work.

"It’s an exceptional story and one that you should be very proud of," Bishop Ronald Gilmore said at a Mass Aug. 28 marking the 120th anniversary of St. Joseph School. He said that as bishop, he was very grateful to all those who have worked hard to keep the school thriving, from those first founders, to current staff and families.

At a dinner following the Mass, Bishop Gilmore compared the founders of the original school, many of whom were German immigrants, to the immigrants of today.

Just as the new immigrants struggle after crossing America’s borders, the founding members of St. Joseph’s had to struggle to assimilate into this society, including the difficult task of learning a new language. Bishop Gilmore said that the struggles they faced should help people "appreciate the plight of the new immigrants."

Referring to Pope John Paul II’s last book, "Memory and Identity," the bishop spoke on the strength of Catholic schools.

"If you do not remember God," Bishop Gilmore said, referring to the pope’s book, "you run the risk of forgetting who you are. Remembrance of God is how we keep our fundamental humanness alive."

Catholic schools, he said, "help keep that memory alive.

"Thank you for doing so well this essential work of keeping the memory of God alive," he told those gathered.

Father John Maes, who grew up in Claflin and served as a priest in Ellinwood on two different occasions for about seven years, said those early Catholics knew that to "endure the hardships of the plains of Kansas, they would need more. They would need sacrifice.

"We are gathered to celebrate the legacy that began 120 years ago and the sacrifice they made then and that continues to be made today.

"When they gather for the 240th anniversary, they will say [of you] that they believed in St. Joseph School."

Father Chuck Mazouch, pastor of St. Joseph’s since July, said that "you’ve got a lot of tradition behind you, and you need to be very proud. You have so much to give and are giving so much."

Father Mazouch drew laughter after saying that he hoped to be pastor for the school’s 121st ,122nd or 123rd anniversary — adding with a look at Bishop Gilmore, "however many years I’ll be here, hopefully more than two or three."

Lead Teacher, Marlene Clayton, offered thanks to volunteers from Claflin who helped serve the meals, as well as to Bishop Gilmore, and Fathers Maes, Mazouch and Gilbert Herrman, who concelebrated the Mass. Also in attendance were Father Jake Roth of Wichita (whom Bishop Gilmore jokingly said was among the first graduating class of the school), and school graduate Adriana Dierolf, honorary co-chair of the Living Legacy Committee, which was formed to organize the anniversary celebrations.

St. Joseph School has reached high academic standards, Clayton said, and pointed out that the following classes achieved Standards of Excellence in the 2005 Kansas State Assessments: sixth grade social studies, seventh grade math, and seventh grade science.

"Twenty-one percent of our students received an exemplary score," she said proudly.