50th Anniversary of Bishop Dwenger High School
Third Sunday of the Year – A
It is very appropriate that we celebrate this 50thanniversary Mass of Bishop Dwenger High School here in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. In the crypt, beneath this altar, Bishop Joseph Dwenger, the second bishop of our diocese, is buried. The crypt is also the final resting place of Bishop Luers, Bishop Rademacher, Bishop Alerding, and Bishop D’Arcy. Let us especially remember Bishop D’Arcy in our prayers today – next week will be the first anniversary of his death. Bishop D’Arcy was a strong advocate for our diocesan high schools and did so much to support Bishop Dwenger High School.
Back in 1956, our sixth bishop, Bishop Leo Pursley saw the need for two new Catholic high schools in Fort Wayne. Central Catholic High School was crowded with over 1400 students. He organized fund-raising campaigns. 23 parishes in the Fort Wayne deanery participated. I think today of the wonderful generosity of the Catholics of Fort Wayne and their great support of Catholic education. Because of this generosity and support, Bishop Luers High School was built and opened in 1958 and Bishop Dwenger High School was built and opened in 1963. Bishop Pursley formally dedicated Bishop Dwenger High School 50 years ago this April, on April 10th, 1964. He named the school after Bishop Joseph Dwenger because of Bishop Dwenger’s great interest in Catholic education. Shortly after he became bishop in 1872, Bishop Dwenger set about to establish a Catholic school in every parish of the diocese. He was a great pioneer of Catholic education in our diocese.
Bishop Dwenger High School began with its early years staffed by very dedicated diocesan priests, the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, and lay teachers. At this Mass, we remember in our prayers the dedicated administrators, teachers, and staff who have served at Bishop Dwenger the past 50 years, as well as the high school’s many benefactors and alumni. We can be proud of the half-century history of Bishop Dwenger High School, its excellence in academics and its many strong extracurricular programs. Most of all, I am proud of Bishop Dwenger’s strong Catholic identity and mission, the reason the school exists, to form citizens of two worlds, to educate our young people in the faith, to help them to grow in holiness, to be “saints” not only in name, but in reality.
Bishop Dwenger High School exists to help our young people to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, to hear the Lord’s call and to follow Him. Our