By DIANE SCHLINDWEIN
Managing Editor 

NOKOMIS — Every October the Missions Office for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois hosts the annual Mission Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. That Mass promotes all the good done by the missions and thanks the Catholic schools for promoting the missions monetarily and, of course, in prayer. At the end of that Mass, awards are given for the highest per capita donation to the Missionary Childhood Association. And nearly consistently for many years, St. Louis Catholic School in Nokomis has taken first place in that competition. 

Principal Anthony Bodnar, who is in his second year as the principal at St. Louis School, says he has learned much about how the faculty and students support the missions. “When I started at St. Louis Catholic, I knew that mission was a primary goal of the school, but I did not know to what extent that was.  Once Mrs. (Tricia) Pinkston (who taught at the school for over 41 years) told me about the history and tradition of the mission piece, I encouraged our students to examine what mission really is,” he said.  

Missions have been important at the school for decades. Father John Burnette was not only a former pastor at St. Louis (1988-1995), but also the former Director of the Office for the Missions (1992-2001).  Vicki Dhabalt Compton (now coordinator of Faith Formation and Mission at the Cathedral) was former principal at the school who later served as the Director of the Missions for many years. 

“There is more to supporting the mission than just raising funds, though that is a big part of it.  I look at our school as a mission school,” Bodnar said. “Although we are a Catholic school (with 60 students in grades PreK-8) about 40 percent of our school is non-Catholic. We teach all our students to be good Catholics, regardless of whether they are Catholic themselves.

“Therefore, by following Jesus, we fulfill the mission of evangelism,” he said. “I have also suggested that we not only consider raising money but also explore what we can do right here and now, such as collecting items and distributing them to the homeless.” 

Bodnar says each class from kindergarten through eighth grade takes on responsibility for the missions. “Last year the kindergarten performed a circus or magic show. They asked people to pay what they wanted for an entrance fee,” he said. Students in first through third grades had a whole-school pajama/movie/snacks day just before Christmas break. Each person paid a dollar to wear PJs, eat “junk food,” and watch a Christmas movie in the afternoon. The fourth through sixth grades held a pennies for the poor drive and had a competition to see which grade level could bring in the most pennies. “In the fourth grade, one student’s sister donated all her tips from her job to that class for the entire month,” he said. Finally, the seventh and eighth grade hosted a carnival that featured games, prizes, and food. 

As far as the fundraising goes, Bodnar says the students are aware of its importance and are very competitive. “We talk about how the missions help other people, how they can help, and where the money they raise goes.  All students want to win first every year.  They take this seriously.”