January 30, 2026 // Local

At St. Joseph-Hessen Cassel, Faith Endures Beyond the Weather

Tim Johnson

Catholic Schools Week unfolded this year amid winter storms that brought multiple days of e-learning and delayed starts for schools across the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, forcing many planned activities to be rescheduled or scaled back. Yet at St. Joseph-Hessen Cassel School in Fort Wayne, the heart of Catholic Schools Week – celebrating faith, community, and the mission of Catholic education – remained firmly in place.

As part of the week’s observance, students, teachers, staff, and parishioners of St. Joseph-Hessen Cassel gathered for Mass, joining together in prayer that reflected the school’s deep parish roots and shared commitment to faith formation. That sense of unity was affirmed during a visit from Bishop Rhoades, whose presence underscored the strength of a school community shaped not by a single week on the calendar but by daily life rooted in faith.

“This week we celebrate Catholic Schools Week with the theme ‘United in Faith and Community,’” Bishop Rhoades told students during his pastoral visit on Thursday, January 29. “We are united in our faith in Jesus Christ but also united as a community – brothers and sisters who follow Jesus together, not just as individuals.”

 

A School Formed by Generations

That sense of unity – sustained even as winter weather disrupted schedules across the diocese – is something St. Joseph-Hessen Cassel Principal Katie Hoffman sees every day.

“St. Joseph-Hessen Cassel School and parish are filled with families who have been here for generations,” Hoffman told Today’s Catholic. “There’s a rich history and tradition, but also a strong family feeling. That warmth welcomes students who are new to the parish or the school and encourages them to grow in both their faith and academic life.”

While Hoffman anticipated strong academics when she arrived, she said she was especially moved by the way students care for one another and for the wider community.

“My expectations were exceeded by how deeply students care for their classmates and others in the school, church, and community,” she said.

 

Faith Woven into Everyday School Life

Catholic identity at St. Joseph-Hessen Cassel is not confined to religion class or weekly liturgies. Teachers attend Mass with students, spend time in Eucharistic adoration, and mark saints’ feast days and liturgical seasons throughout the year. Scripture passages and faith-centered artwork line the hallways, reinforcing lessons lived as well as taught.

“Our staff are very open about sharing their faith,” Hoffman said. “They show students that this work is a calling – work God has placed before them.”

The school also provides opportunities for students to learn about religious vocations, including visits from the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration, helping young people see how faith can shape a lifetime of service.

 

Learning Faith Through Service and Welcoming

This year marked the school’s first special education program – an addition that Hoffman said revealed the character of the student body.

“I see students with exceptionalities treated with genuine respect and kindness,” she said. “Students go out of their way to include everyone – in games, activities, and everyday moments. That fills a principal’s heart.”

Students also live their faith through service beyond the classroom, volunteering at the parish food bank to help prepare for food distribution.

“They’re serving the wider community and sharing their faith through that work,” Hoffman said.

 

Parish and School, United in Mission

The close relationship between the parish and school plays a central role in shaping students’ sense of belonging in the Church. Father Michael Ammer, pastor of St. Joseph-Hessen Cassel, is a regular presence in the school, teaching junior high religion classes, coaching basketball, visiting with students during lunch, and greeting families at dismissal.

“We are so blessed to have a priest who is truly present in our school,” Hoffman said. “Students see Father Michael and me working together, and that helps them understand that St. Joseph-Hessen Cassel is one community – and that the school is a ministry of the parish.”

Father Ammer sees that unity as essential to Catholic formation.

“The Mass is fundamental to our faith,” he told Today’s Catholic. “As Vatican II teaches, the Eucharistic sacrifice is the source and summit of the Christian life. Everything the parish does surrounds that center.”

Students regularly serve as readers, altar servers, and choir members at school Masses, and classes rotate through weekly Eucharistic adoration. Opportunities for confession further anchor prayer in everyday school life.

“The students are receptive,” Father Ammer said. “They sing, they serve, they pray. Those experiences shape them in ways that last.”

 

Affirmed by the Bishop’s Visit

During his visit, Bishop Rhoades celebrated Mass with the school community and spent time visiting classrooms, speaking with students about Scripture, the sacraments, and the responsibilities of living the Catholic faith. In one classroom, he discussed the evangelists; in another, he spoke about religious freedom and the importance of faith in public life.

“There is no better way to celebrate than the holy Eucharist,” Bishop Rhoades told students, “because it is the Eucharist that makes us one body in Christ.”

He also emphasized the role of Catholic schools in forming young disciples.

“Our mission as Catholics is to help build the Kingdom of God – by living our faith, loving one another, and keeping God’s commandments,” he said.

At the conclusion of Mass, Bishop Rhoades thanked the faculty and staff for their dedication.

“This would not be such a wonderful Catholic school without your teachers and staff,” he said. “Thank you for your commitment to this holy mission of Catholic education.”

 

Hope Rooted in Faith

For Hoffman and Father Ammer, the strength of St. Joseph-Hessen Cassel lies not only in tradition but in families who continue to live their faith together – during school days, at Mass, and in service to others.

“In a world where many people look to temporary things for meaning,” Hoffman said, “St. Joseph-Hessen Cassel is forming students who know their joy, hope, and strength come from their Catholic faith. Our students are a community of believers for one another, and that gives me tremendous hope for the future.”

Even amid winter weather and disrupted schedules, that shared faith continues to shape young lives – united in faith, united in community, and rooted in the enduring mission of Catholic education.