2024 Catholic Schools Week Supplement
A challenging time for a family shows the love they found in Catholic schools
With eight children ranging in age from 4 to 22, Brian and Kathie Van Gheem have enjoyed having their family embraced by the communities of St. Christopher School and Cardinal Ritter Jr./Sr. High School, both in Indianapolis. From oldest to youngest, their children are Megan, Patrick, Molly, Daniel, Timothy, MaryAnn, Meredith and Aaron. (Submitted photo)
By John Shaughnessy
Kathie and Brian Van Gheem were at a loss of where to turn following the birth of their eighth child, who was rushed to an Indianapolis hospital’s neonatal intensive care (NIC) unit immediately after his early arrival in the world.
Their families lived in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and Kathie’s mother had just been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. And while Kathie mostly stayed around the clock at the hospital to be near their son, Aaron, Brian tried to keep everything going at home, working and trying to be there for their seven other children.
“It was a really hard time for our family,” Kathie recalls.
Yet in the midst of that fearful and uncertain time, Kathie says, another family rallied around theirs—the family that has embraced them at Cardinal Ritter Jr./Sr. High School in Indianapolis.
“I will never be able to express enough our thanks for what Cardinal Ritter did,” Kathie says, noting all the help that flowed from the school, starting with its president, Jo Hoy, and its principal, Kari Jost. “I remember Mrs. Hoy calling me when I was in the NIC unit and saying, ‘Whatever you need.’
“They sent us $200 in gift cards to eat out, which was a huge blessing for our family because we never eat out. Every single teacher at Ritter signed that card and said how much they were praying for Aaron and hoped he would get home soon. He came home much earlier than the doctors ever thought possible. And I really think it’s because of the prayers of the staff and faculty of Ritter. They really carried us through what was a really hard time for our family.”
That outpouring of love and support from the Cardinal Ritter family four years ago reinforced the choice that the Van Gheems made when they were married 24 years ago.
“When we got married, we knew that no matter what sacrifices it took, our kids were going to Catholic schools,” Kathie says.
“My husband and I both went to Catholic schools growing up, so it’s been a part of our lives since we were very young. And both of our parents had a strong emphasis on our Catholic faith and Catholic schooling. So, it’s something we knew right away when we got married that we wanted Catholic schooling to be a part of our kids’ lives every day.”
The couple feels blessed that they found exactly what they were looking for when they moved from Minnesota to Indianapolis 21 years ago, sending their children first to St. Christopher School in Indianapolis and later to Cardinal Ritter. Three of their children are now students at Cardinal Ritter and two are at St. Christopher.
“The thing I love the most about Indianapolis is we have really great Catholic schools and lots of choices for Catholic schools based upon what you want,” Kathie says.
“We have found a really good fit with St. Chris, and most especially with Cardinal Ritter. We have been so happy with the faith formation that happens in the schools. But most importantly, what we love the most is that these schools have become like family. All our relatives are up in Wisconsin and Minnesota. And so, these schools and the teachers have really become our family.”
One of the qualities that the Van Gheems particularly appreciate about Cardinal Ritter is the school’s diversity, bringing together students and families from different ethnic and racial backgrounds as well as different economic backgrounds.
“It really represents what our world is right now,” Kathie says. “That’s a very diverse melting pot.”
The Van Gheems know they are part of that diversity, as families with eight children aren’t exactly the norm in today’s world, Kathie says.
“We can be overwhelming to a lot of people. We always have a lot going on,” she says with a laugh about life with their children who range in age from 4 to 22. “But everyone we’ve met at St. Chris and Cardinal Ritter, they’ve never felt overwhelmed by our family. They’ve always embraced them and loved them and told us how great it is that we’ve let our faith guide how many children we have.
“That’s what we love the most about Catholic schools—how much they love our family, how much they embrace the sanctity of life in our kids. That has been huge for us.”
So has the faith formation that the schools have provided for their children. Kathie believes it’s helped their two oldest children continue to embrace their faith in college.
“They go to church every weekend, and I really believe it’s the faith formation that was instilled in them when they were at Ritter. Mrs. Hoy says, ‘No, no, Kathie, that’s you guys at home.’ And I tell her, ‘You guys carried them through.’ ”
That connection between their family and the family they’ve found at Cardinal Ritter and St. Christopher has been worth all the sacrifices the couple has made to provide a Catholic education for their children.
“With eight kids, Catholic school is not cheap,” Kathie says. “Even with the wonderful help from the vouchers and the Choice Scholarship program, it’s still not cheap. We have to give up a lot. We don’t drive fancy cars. We never go on vacations. But we feel that the sacrifice we make is so worth it to have these wonderful schools as an extension of our family and also an extension of our faith.
“Our kids are getting our faith morning, noon and night. And they tell me they wouldn’t change it for the world. They love where they go to school.” †
