January 20, 2026 // Bishop

Bishop Luers Principal, Students Receive Sacraments

Georgia Lieb

Silence filled the gymnasium as Bishop Rhoades spoke the words over Bishop Luers Principal Seth Coffing: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”  This was a special moment for the entire Bishop Luers community as they witnessed their principal receiving the sacrament of baptism, followed by confirmation and holy Communion.

In his homily, Bishop Rhoades said: “This will be the first time in all my years as a priest and as a bishop that I will be baptizing a Catholic school principal. When I met with Mr. Coffing to interview him before I appointed him principal, I learned that here at Bishop Luers he had really grown in his faith and was planning to become Catholic, thanks to you, the Bishop Luers community, and your example of faith, your witness to the truth and joy of following Christ.”

Along with Coffing, five students and a teacher received sacraments during Bishop Rhoades’ annual pastoral visit on Wednesday, January 14. Theology Department Chair Ann Isch served as their catechist this fall.

“I felt privileged to take this journey with them as they grew deeper in their faith and ultimately received their sacraments,” Isch told Today’s Catholic.

Bishop Rhoades said: “Today is a beautiful day in the life of the Christian community of Bishop Luers High School. It is a day of joy not only for those who will receive the sacraments of initiation at this Mass and for their sponsors and families but also for all of us.”

Coffing chose St. Joseph of Cupertino, the patron saint of basketball players, as his confirmation saint. Along with his duties as principal, Coffing is the head coach for the varsity boys’ basketball team at Bishop Luers. Many of the students know him as Coach Coffing, and the basketball team sat in the front to support him during Mass.

“Becoming Catholic has been something that I have thought about for quite a while,” Coffing told Today’s Catholic. “My wife and I were married at St. Joseph on Brooklyn in 2018, and since being a part of the Bishop Luers family from 2021 to present, my faith has grown, and my knowledge of Catholicism has obviously expanded. I am excited to continue to get closer to God.”

Students Harvest Green and Aeslin McCormick were baptized along with their principal. Both Green and McCormick became Catholic through the experiences they had in their Bishop Luers theology classes and encountering Luers Spirit – the feeling of family and community within the school. Students Diana Rodriguez, America Salinas, and Ellie Wilchar were already Catholic but received the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Ashanti Ditaway, a special education paraprofessional at Bishop Luers, also entered the Catholic Church during Bishop Rhoades’ visit. Coming from a Protestant background, Ditaway said she was intrigued by the Sacrament of Holy Communion. She said, “I wanted to be a part of this thing that is so special.”

Ditaway began asking her Bishop Luers peers many questions about the Catholic Church. She learned about Church history while assisting a student in one of Isch’s theology courses. And when she received the Sacrament of Confirmation from Bishop Rhoades, former Special Education Department Chair Esther Baird was her sponsor. Ditaway said, “I love the fact that it happened in front of the Bishop Luers community because they’ve been so supportive and so kind to me.”

Father Paolo Degasperi, chaplain at Bishop Luers, said this past fall semester was a time of spiritual growth.

“Objectively, this year compared to previous ones, I have seen an uptick in students availing themselves of the Sacrament of Confession, both during the weekly opportunities we offer for this sacrament and the all-school penance service in preparation for Christmas. I think this is wonderful, knowing how crucial it is for us all to experience God’s merciful love poured out on us personally and be reconciled to Him.”

Father Degasperi added: “Being a chaplain at Luers is a tremendous joy and privilege. It’s hard to pick my favorite part of being a chaplain there, because, in truth, being with the youth is the best part. So, whether it is being with them behind the stage before the Christmas play, or on the sideline of Lucas Oil Stadium during the football state championship, or teaching a theology class … as long as I am with them, I am loving it. If I need to pick one thing among them all, I would say that nothing brings me more joy than when a student comes devoutly to receive holy Communion full of love for Our Lord Jesus in the Eucharist. That is priceless.”

Reflecting on the school year so far, Coffing told Today’s Catholic: “Bishop Luers’ career readiness and internship programs have grown tremendously this year, with 55 students currently participating and an estimated 80-90 students next year. We have partnered with the University of Saint Francis with their education and nursing programs. Students are attending ABC for trades, Anthis and Amp Lab for a multitude of different areas as well as several individual internships.”

Coffing continued: “Programs within the school continue to thrive! We have had several championships already this year in fall sports. Boys tennis won the Summit Athletic Conference. Boys soccer won the Summit Athletic Conference and advanced to regionals. Our Knights football team made another historical run to the state championship at Lucas Oil Stadium, and students continue to thrive at amazing levels in our performing arts program. The list goes on and on. Our students are gaining lifelong experiences and being directed by amazing teachers and staff.”

Along with the successes of the past semester, the Bishop Luers community is looking forward to some major updates.

“Bishop Luers is in the midst of a capital campaign that will change the future of this school forever,” Coffing said. “The addition of an auxiliary gym/performance art stage and dressing rooms, new weight room, locker rooms, training room, team room, concession stand, restrooms, offices, and storage will not only allow more opportunities for our current and future students but also allow for growth of the overall population in years to come. We are gaining serious traction toward potentially breaking ground during the summer of 2026. It truly is a great time to be a Knight.”

You can learn more about the capital campaign by visiting bishopluers.org.

Looking to the future, Bishop Luers is excited to welcome the incoming freshman class in the fall of 2026. New freshman registration recently opened online.

Through the grace of the sacraments celebrated this past week and the continued initiatives shaping the future, Bishop Luers High School affirms that the spiritual life and growth of its students remains at the heart of all it does. Bishop Luers remains steadfast in forming the whole person – spiritually and academically – as it fulfills its Catholic mission.