St. Benedict Catholic School family celebrates 100 years

By ROB HERBST
The Catholic Week
ELBERTA — Fr. Nick Adam returned to one of his “favorite buildings in the world” on Sept. 18.
For Fr. Adam, the St. Benedict Catholic School gym in Elberta holds a special place in his heart. Fr. Adam was the homilist as the school family celebrated its 100th anniversary with Mass celebrated by Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi in the school gym. Fr. Adam attended grades four through eight at St. Benedict after his family moved from Virginia and his mother, Claudia, became school principal. She served as principal from 1995-2005 before passing away in 2014.
Now a priest of the Diocese of Jackson, Miss., Fr. Adam said in his homily that the school didn’t have a gym when he first arrived about 25 years ago and building a gym was high on his mother’s “to-do list.”
“This gym was like a miracle,” he said. “She said we can build something that is lasting, we can build something that will take care of students not just for my generation but generations to come. I will never forget the effort that was put in.
The school gym “is here because of faith, hope and love. … I saw what it took to get it here and it is a testament to God’s faithfulness to those with a child-like sense of trust.”
The gym is just one example of trusting in God over the school’s 100-year history. Current principal Dr. Kathy McCool has trusted the Lord when taking the position in 2018. Although her son had attended St. Benedict, Dr. McCool said she didn’t think about eventually becoming the school principal.
“The Holy Spirit called me to this position in May 2018 three times in 48 hours. … I never had being the principal on my radar,” she said. “I have never regretted saying to the dear Lord ‘yes I will go wherever it is you are leading me.’ There is just something so special about St. Benedict. He continues to lead me today and every day.”
A heavy dose of trust was likely needed by Benedictine priest Fr. Thomas Stemmler, O.S.B., who founded the school, and three Benedictine sisters who served as the first educators of “St. Benedict Academy.” 
They taught 60 children in grades one through eight reading, math, religion and German.
The original building sat across from St. Bartholomew Parish in Elberta and the current school building was dedicated in 1959. Benedictines staffed the school until 1992. 
Bendictines joined in the centennial celebration as Abbot Marcus Voss, O.S.B. of Saint Bernard Abbey in Cullman concelebrated the Mass. Benedictine Sr. Elizabeth Meadows, O.S.B., Prioress of Sacred Heart Monastery, Sr. Bernadette Sachs, O.S.B. and Sr. Tonette Spearando, O.S.B., were special guests.
“What a great nurturing, faith-filled presence this place has been and continues to be,” Fr. Adam said. “The Benedictines are such a gift to the Church and they provided an incredible foundation on which we continue to build with the excellent faculty and staff here now at St. Benedict.”
Fr. Adam said St. Benedict is also special because of the community.
“It was joy-filled and hope-filled and Gospel filled,” he said. “My mother and her staff and the faculty’s joy was developed and nurtured by the people of Elberta, the people of south Baldwin County who have supported this school for not just her generation and my generation but all generations going back a century.”
While the past 100 years were celebrated, Archbishop Rodi also looked toward the future at St. Benedict. 
He stressed what has made the school special for 100 years and prays it will continue to impact the students of today.
“Here we not only teach knowledge, we teach wisdom. We teach not only about the world but about the God who made the world,” he said. “I pray 25 years from now St. Benedict School will be celebrating its 125th anniversary and that one of the young men here today will be giving the sermon saying ‘Oh I was here 25 years ago.’ 
“I pray for that.”