Sacred Heart School, La Grange celebrates 90th anniversary

By Mary P. Walker | Senior Correspondent

Sacred Heart Catholic School in La Grange celebrated its 90th anniversary on Sept. 8, and over the last nine decades, it has formed generations of Catholics in the faith and offered a quality education that prepares students to excel. In addition, the school has earned the respect and affection of the La Grange community.
In July 1928, Msgr. S. A. Zientek arrived in La Grange and was determined to establish a Catholic school. With humble beginnings, the school opened on Sept. 8, 1930. The first building was a converted rectory, which housed two classrooms for 35 students and living quarters for two teachers, who were from the Sisters of the Incarnate World and Blessed Sacrament of Victoria. Throughout the years, the parish school added and upgraded facilities to accommodate growth. Today, 92 students are enrolled in pre-K3 through sixth grade.
Father Brian Phillips, the recently named administrator of the parish, immediately noticed the special place the school has in parish life and within the heart of the community.
“There is a family heritage,” Father Phillips said. “The school is multigenerational. Those who attended in the past like to send their children.”
Matt Henneke attended Sacred Heart School along with his four siblings. He also sent his four children, and several of his nieces and nephews are alumni, including Sam Gaertner, who now has two children in the school. Passing on the Catholic faith motivated the extended family to choose Sacred Heart, Henneke said.
Sacred Heart School is also part of the family heritage of Kyle Janda, who said the school’s religion classes influenced him to pursue the rigorous formation process for the diaconate. His mother also attended the school and currently teaches third grade, and his two children are now students.
“It is nice to know the values you are teaching your children at home are upheld, and I hope the school is here for another 90 years,” Janda said.
These values have also resonated with non-Catholic Christians in the La Grange area. Principal LaDonna Voelkel said the student body welcomes and includes children from other Christian denominations.   
While transmitting the faith is a vital responsibility of Catholic education, Voelkel also highlights the strong academic performance of students. The school motto is “Enter to learn. Exit to lead,” and much of the community leadership has a Sacred Heart School connection. Without a Catholic high school nearby, students must be academically and socially prepared to move into the public schools after sixth grade. Sacred Heart Catholic School and the La Grange Independent School District have a history of working cooperatively to ensure a smooth transition. In fact, the superintendent of the public school system serves on the school board of Sacred Heart.
Voelkel, Father Phillips and others expressed their appreciation for the support the school receives from the parish, the Knights of Columbus and the general community. Sacred Heart School, in turn, teaches students to model Christian charity outside the classroom.
For more than 30 years, the school has participated in a food drive for a local pantry, and has worked with organizations that collect toys for needy children. When rains during Hurricane Harvey flooded the local Knights of Columbus hall, students collected $1,500 to help with the restoration. During Catholic Schools Week, the mother and grandparents of a former student in the military worked with each class to make rosaries for members of the armed forces.
Pandemic changes have affected school life as students, teachers and staff try to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. The school community hopes it can soon return to a more active role in service. Prior to COVID-19, students made cards and regular visits to nursing homes, bringing Christmas stockings with small gifts and Easter baskets. Now, such caring gestures have to be delivered. School assemblies to pray the rosary during the month of October were changed to praying together while in classrooms using the public address system. Plans for the annual Christmas program, which brings back former students to reminisce about their own school experiences, are on hold.
Originally, the parish and school intended to commemorate the 90th anniversary with a celebration in the Knights of Columbus hall. However, COVID-19 has forced a change in plans. Instead, a drive-through dinner will take place on Dec. 2, and a school drawing will be livestreamed on Facebook on Dec. 4. While the school community is disappointed and more than ready to celebrate with a big party, it has a 90-year history of overcoming challenges and eagerly awaits the time when it can celebrate this huge milestone in person.
For more information about Sacred Heart Catholic School in La Grange, visit online at sacredheartschoollg.com or call (979) 968-3223.