September 3, 2020 | Issue 17 St. Joan of Arc in Hershey Unveils Expansive New Campus as Students Return to School By Jen Reed Volunteer Gabe Plebani, teacher The Catholic Witness Mrs. Remington and Principal The excitement of a red- Sister Eileen McGowan, DM, carpet welcome, a modern welcome students on the first day. school facility, a spacious campus and – perhaps most importantly – reuniting with friends and teachers outshined the talk of masks and temperature-taking at St. Joan of Arc School in Hershey as students embarked on a new school year Aug. 31. St. Joan’s moved from its historic yet outgrown quarters on Areba Avenue to an 110,000-square-foot building two miles away CHRIS HEISEY, THE CATHOLIC WITNESS on Sand Hill Road, after 2015, we knew that our greatest going to put an addition on to purchasing the former Lancaster need was more space,” she the building, and the plans were Mennonite Hershey campus in said. ready for it, and then Lancaster December of 2019. At that time, classrooms Mennonite School went up The new site offers students were at capacity, and the pre- for sale,” Sister Eileen said. a wide range of enhancements schoolers were being taught on “We discovered that building a to their faith-based education, the school stage. new addition plus renovating said Sister Eileen McGowan, With an influx of sixth-graders the school would cost more DM, principal. At the top of the anticipated for the 2020-2021 than actually buying Lancaster list is space to accommodate school year, officials knew they Mennonite.” their numbers, which have seen had to act; the Areba Avenue St. Joan’s purchased the continued growth over the past school didn’t have space to 36-acre campus for $5 million. several years. accommodate a needed second The cost was less than the “When we had our Middle class. States visit and accreditation in “We had decided we were More ST. JOAN, page 2 September 3, 2020 • The Catholic WITNESS- 2 ST. JOAN continued from 1 $8.5 million needed to renovate the school on Areba Avenue, according to a letter sent by Father Al Sceski, pastor, to parishioners. The new school is four times larger than the previous building, which had been St. Joan’s home since 1948. “There is so much that we can give our kids here,” Sister Eileen said. “We have larger classrooms that are bright and cheery, with geothermal heating and air conditioning. We have enhanced security, and a health room and IT room in our office suites. Volunteer Mr. Hazard takes the temperatures of Joann and There’s a spacious auditorium, gym, Johan Garcia. a cafeteria, and many extra rooms that teachers can use for an activity. Outside in our green space, we have soccer fields, space for volleyball and a playground. It’s a great atmosphere for our kids.” The school has three stories; the third floor is unfinished, but there are plans to establish classrooms for the middle school as well as a 500-seat chapel for weekly Mass. In the meantime, to adhere to social- distancing guidelines, one class each week will attend Mass in-person in the school cafeteria while the liturgy is livestreamed to all classrooms. “Our enrollment increased from 356 to about 400 this year,” Sister Brandon Dodd steps off the bus and follows his sister More , page 3 Annagrace to the first day of school. ST. JOAN Publisher: 4800 Union Deposit Road The Most Rev. Ronald W. Gainer, Harrisburg, PA 17111-3710 DD, JCL, Bishop of Harrisburg Phone: 717-657-4804 Executive Director for Public Relations: Email: [email protected] Rachel Bryson, M.S. [email protected] Digital subscriptions provided complimentary to all parishioners registered to a parish in the Diocese of Managing Editor: Jennifer Reed The mission of The Catholic Witness is Harrisburg. The Catholic Witness (ISSN 0008-8447, [email protected] to be of personal and practical help as USPS 557 120) is published digitally weekly except we try to be loyal and true witnesses for Photojournalist: Chris Heisey Christmas/New Year by the Harrisburg Catholic Christ in our daily living, spiritual and [email protected] Publishing Association, 4800 Union Deposit Road, temporal, in private and in public. Harrisburg, PA 17111. September 3, 2020 • The Catholic WITNESS- 3 ST. JOAN continued from 2 Eileen said. “We could take even more students, but with social distancing we have limited the number in each classroom.” “If we were in our former school on Areba Avenue, we wouldn’t be able to accommodate the social distancing that we’re currently doing,” she said. As students arrived for the start of a new year on Aug. 31, they Sister JoAnn’s second-grade class participates in morning prayer. were greeted with a red carpet welcome. To help facilitate families we’re welcoming into our family at St. smaller group tours of the new building and Joan’s, and everyone is equally excited. We’re acclimating students to their new surroundings, ready to get this school year underway,” she said. the student body staggered during the first week. For more information about St. Joan of Arc Going forward, students will have a regular five- School, visit http://school.stjoanhershey.org/ or call day school week. 717-533-2854. “Our faculty and staff are 100 percent invested in the health and safety of themselves and the students,” Sister Eileen said. Temperatures are taken at the start of the school day, with A striking mandatory masks and statue of St. social distancing. Joan of Arc “Custodial staff has welcomes been busy cleaning. students, like Everyone deserves a Jace Cherry, medal for their help and to school. dedication, including the families who helped us move,” she said. “I can’t give enough gratitude to everyone. We have a great community.” “We have 80 new September 3, 2020 • The Catholic WITNESS- 4 Smiling Faces Welcomed Back to School The excitement of students, faculty and staff returning for the start of the 2020-2021 school year in the Diocese was palpable in the opening week of classes. With masks, social distancing and creative ways of keeping students safe while engaged, our Catholic schools are ready to take on the new school year – even if things look a little different. Learn more about Catholic schools and the Diocese’s safety guidelines for them at www.GoCatholicSchools.org. St. Catherine Laboure in Harrisburg St. Francis Xavier in Gettysburg Our Lady of the Angels, Columbia Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Ephrata St. Joseph in Danville Sacred Heart of Jesus in Lancaster September 3, 2020 • The Catholic WITNESS- 5 Harrisburg Catholic Elementary Lancaster Catholic High School St. Theresa, New Cumberland St. Teresa of Calcutta in McSherrystown St. Patrick in Carlisle St. Joseph in York September 3, 2020 • The Catholic WITNESS- 6 ‘Humbled and Overjoyed,’ Diocesan Native Tyler Mentzer Professes Vows as a Marian Special to The dusty diamond. A Witness baseball player, His family used to that is. He played call him the monk — at Philadelphia from an early age. University on a “Because he scholarship, and was never one for his talents have possessions,” his been a welcomed mom explained. asset to the band of “He always had Marian brothers in something rare Washington, D.C., about him,” his who had grown father said. “He was accustomed to never attached to getting shellacked material things.” in the annual Labor He was attached Day weekend to relationships and his faith. Now, Brother Tyler softball game against the mighty Dominicans. Roth Mentzer, MIC, a native of the Diocese David versus Goliath sort of stuff here. of Harrisburg, is permanently attached to his “In 20 years, the Marians have probably won religious vows as a Marian Father. two or three times, so it was almost a hopeless Making a gift of himself to the Lord, he case,” noted Father Joe Roesch, MIC, the Marian professed his perpetual vows as a Marian on Fathers’ vicar general, in his homily. Aug. 16, in a liturgy celebrated at the National The Marians won last year. Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Mass. “If that miraculous victory has anything to do “I just feel humbled and overjoyed,” said with hastening the Lord’s return, we can thank Brother Tyler, following his profession of vows. Brother Tyler for that,” Father Roesch said. He is a native of St. Ignatius Loyola Parish in But as to those other talents, Father Roesch Buchanan Valley, and attended Delone Catholic said, “Tonight, Brother Tyler wants to offer all of High School in McSherrystown. his gifts to the Lord, to be of service to the Lord “I just feel the overwhelming sense of God’s for the rest of his life.” love, the immense love that He pours out. And I By professing his perpetual, or “final” vows, will, in my own way, offer myself back to Him. I’m he has pledged on his honor to perpetually live so grateful for the opportunity to say yes to Him,” “in conformity to the life of Christ, who was poor, he said. chaste, and obedient.” Brother Tyler defines the By the grace of God, Brother Tyler will be consecrated life as one set apart by God in order ordained to the diaconate in January and to the that, like the apostles, he may dedicate himself sacred priesthood next summer. to Christ and draw closer to Him through prayer, Brother Tyler’s faith, his good nature, his love of neighbor, and apostolic works. desire to serve, and his love for Christ and His For him, the Marian motto, “Pro Christo et Church are key character traits as the Marian Ecclesia” (For Christ and the Church), isn’t Congregation grows in numbers and expands its merely obscure Latin words on a Congregation’s outreach.